May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor
by Fiddlegirl
Summary: It's the 100th Annual Hunger Games. These tributes are sent into the arena to fight for their lives. Which one will win? May the odds be ever in your favor!
1. Chapter 1: District 1

**District One Reaping **

_**Carson Lear **_

Two more years. I only have to wait two more years until I'm free. I'll be free of the Hunger Games, and I will finally be safe. Don't get me wrong. I love it when the Games are on television, but I only like to watch it. I never would want to actually be in the arena with everyone else, fighting for my survival.

I can kill people. Don't get me wrong. I can do some serious damage with my bow and arrow. I think the Hunger Games are a great way to control the other districts, but I do not know if I would survive the Games. The thought alone is quiet scary.

Some people call me stuck up. I just say I'm sophisticated. I don't really think it's the same thing, but if I need to be stuck up and mean to win the Games, I will be mean and stuck up. There is only one person who I worry about more than myself. The one person I would die for. My sister.

My twin sister, Aurora, is very similar to me, in a way. People call her stuck up and conceited, but again, I just think she's sophisticated. She thinks the Hunger Games are also a great way to control the districts. My sister and I are very similar, but we don't always get along. Trust me. There have been moments in our lives when I have wanted to kill her. I used to dream of the moment when she would be reaped to go into the Games.

Though, if Aurora ever did end up in the Games, I don't think I could possibly stand it. I never say it out loud, but I love her. She's my twin. Of course I love her! It just wouldn't be easy sitting at home and watching her suffer and struggle for survival. I would personally die for her.

"Carson, if you want to get to the Reapings, you're going to have to move faster," Aurora says from behind my bedroom door. I groan and shake my head.

"I'm tired," I mumble from beneath my bed sheets.

"I'm tired too, but you have to get up," she says.

"Can you just tell Mom and Dad that I don't feel well?" I ask. She opens my bedroom door and stares down at me with a death glare.

"Carson, we all have to go to the Reapings. It isn't voluntary. Besides, what if my name gets drawn today? Wouldn't you want to see me before I left?" she asks. I sit up in my bed and look at her. No, she is not going to be reaped. I won't allow it.

"Aurora, you won't be picked," I say.

"Even if I don't get picked, I'm going to volunteer to go into the Games," she says. My head snaps up and I stare into her gray eyes, which match mine perfectly.

"What?" I ask. She nods her head and smiles.

"Carson, I've been training for years now. I think I can win this. I'm not scared of fighting. I'm only scared of dying, and I know that isn't going to happen," she says. I shake my head and stand up from my bed. I pace around my bedroom.

"Aurora, you can't do this. You're not strong enough. You're thin and frail," I say. She looks down at her light weight body and shrugs her shoulders.

"Are you going to stop me?" she asks. I stare down at my twin sister. I see her long, blonde hair that resembles mine. Her skin is perfectly tan, also resembling mine. I shake my head. I know I can't stop her. She has a mind of her own.

"No, if you want to do this, fine. Kill yourself then," I say. I push my way past her and walk out of my bedroom.

I storm into the nearby bathroom and slam the door shut. I have to think of a new plan. If Aurora volunteers before anyone else volunteers, she is going into the Games. This means my sister is going to fight for her life.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look at my tall, muscular frame and smile. Aurora and I have always made the perfect team. We have a connection. I mean, we're twins. We're almost the same person.

I know what I have to do now. It might be crazy, but I have no other choice.

_**Aurora Lear **_

I step outside my house after my argument with Carson, and walk over to the garage across the street. I walk into the garage, and quickly change into my training suit.

"Carson doesn't think I'm strong. Well, I'll give him strong," I say to myself. I pick up a knife and throw it across the room toward a dummy. It stabs the head, and I smile to myself.

"I'm definitely ready to win this," I say.

"Aurora! It's time to leave!" I hear Carson yell from outside. I groan and walk over to the garage door. I step outside and see him wearing a training suit, similar to mine.

"Were you just training?" I ask him. He shakes his head and frowns.

"No," he says. I stare up at him and shake my head.

"Yes, you were. I can see sweat dripping down your forehead," I say. He flexes his muscles and smiles.

"Okay, I was doing a few push-ups. What's the harm? Let's go!"

He grabs my hand and drags me away. Once we arrive at the Reapings, everything becomes a blur. I am separated from Carson. I look for my parents, but I can't see them anywhere. I stand next to Ariel, Charlotte and Vivian – my three best friends. They cling to each other for support. I shake my head and smile. They're scared about the Games. They think they're going to get picked. Little did they know that their best friend was going to volunteer.

"Aurora, what if Carson gets picked?" Ariel asks me.

I glance over at Carson. I've been forcing myself not to think about that every year. I don't want to think about Carson going into the Games and dying. Yes, he's very strong. But, can he win? I don't think so.

"Shut up," I say.

I notice Lulu walking over to the microphone. She taps it and smiles at the crowd.

"Hello and welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! This is going to be quite an exciting year. And may the odds be ever in your favor!" she shouts.

She walks over to the girls' name bowl and reaches in. I close my eyes, and pray for my name.

"Vivian Inglesfield."

I open my eyes and look at my best friend. Her hands tremble with fear. She shakes her head and covers her mouth with her pale hand.

"No! Please, pick someone else! Please! Somebody, volunteer for me! Please! I'm not ready for this!" she shouts. I stare at her and quickly raise my hand.

"I volunteer!"

The crowd gasps as they turn to look at me. I step out from the crowd and look at Lulu.

"I volunteer for the girl tribute for District One, ma'am. I am ready to win," I say. I confidently walk up the stairs and make my way to the microphone.

"My name is Aurora Lear, and I am ready to win this thing!"

_**Carson Lear **_

"I volunteer!"

I turn and look at the direction of the voice. I know that voice. I see Aurora step out of the crown.

"I volunteer for the girl tribute for District One, ma'am. I am ready to win," she says with determination in her voice. She confidently walks up the stairs and walks over to the microphone. I close my eyes and shake my head. You're so stupid, Aurora.

"My name is Aurora Lear, and I am ready to win this thing!" she shouts.

Lulu pats her back and smiles at us.

"Well, Aurora. You seem pretty confident about the Games," she says. Aurora smiles and catches my eye.

"I've been training for years. I can do this. No one can stop me," she says. Lulu smiles and walks over to the boys' name bowl. She reaches down and casually snatches a slip of paper into her hand. She walks over to the microphone.

"Carter Wilson!"

I gasp and look at my best friend, Carter. He looks down at Brock, my other best friend. He turns to look at me. He smiles and nods his head.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you," he says. He steps out of the crowd. I reach up and grab his arm.

"Carter," I whisper. He looks down at me and smiles.

"Don't worry, Carson. I'll keep her safe. I promise," he whispers. I shake my head.

"No, Carter. You can't do this. If someone is going to go into the Games with Aurora, it's going to be me," I say. I step out of the crown and look at Lulu.

"I volunteer for the boy tribute!"

Aurora gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. She shakes her head and grabs the microphone.

"Carson, you don't know what you're doing!" she shouts. The district guards grab my arms, but I push them away.

"Don't push me. I'm above you, and I can walk by myself," I say with a death glare on my face. It's game time.

I walk up the steps and walk over to the microphone. Lulu smiles, and motions for me to stand next to her.

"What is your name?" she asks.

"Carson Lear," I say. She gasps and looks at Aurora.

"Are you two siblings?" she asks. We both nod our heads.

"We're twins," Aurora says. She grabs my hand and leans up into my ear.

"You're crazy," she whispers. I stare down at her and smile.

"If you're going into the Games, so am I. I'm going to protect you because I want you to win, sis. You're going to win," I say. She looks up at me and shakes her head.

"I hate you," she says. Lulu clears her throat. We snap back to reality and look at her. She turns to face us and leans into the microphone.

"Well, may the odds be ever in your favor."


	2. Chapter 2: District 2

**District Two**

_**Jolie Talon **_

This is my last freakin' year! My last year to get picked to go into the Hunger Games. I would kill to be in the Games. I find it a great way to murder people. I am a very cold-hearted, rude, sarcastic and evil person. Honestly, I could care less what other people think about me. I don't care how other people feel. I only care about myself, and I'm perfectly fine with that. In the Games, I wouldn't hesitate at all to kill someone. I would kill someone with a smile on my brown face.

"Jolie, come on. Let's go," my dad says behind my bedroom door. I walk over to my closet and grab a black t-shirt and forest pants.

"Coming, Granite," I say.

He opens the bedroom door and glares at me.

"What did you call me?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders and walk out of the room.

My father was a previous victor of the Hunger Games. He won by burning down the career camp. He is very strict and mean. I guess that is where I get my personality from. He also isn't afraid to get physical when things go down. You know what I mean.

"Jolie, you don't talk to me that way and then just walk away," he says. He grabs my arm and slaps me across the face. I turn and glare at him.

"Oh, like that really hurt," I say. I turn around and walk into the bathroom. I slam the door shut and quickly get changed.

I look at my reflection in the mirror and smile. I'm perfect in every way possible. I'm fairly tall. I have short black hair. I have dark brown skin and dark grey eyes. I have scars all over my body from training and from my father.

"Jolie, get a move on," my mom says from behind the bathroom door. I roll my eyes and flip her off.

My mother was also a previous victor of the Hunger Games. My mom was very vicious in the Games. She teamed up with the Careers and killed all of the other non-Careers. Then, she turned on her allies and killed them. Like my father, she is very mean and strict. I don't understand why they love each other. Who can fall in love with someone who is so mean? Wait…I'm mean too. I guess that means no one will fall in love with me. That's okay though. I don't need love. I have myself.

I step out of the bathroom and run downstairs. I don't even bother telling my parents good-bye. I'm ready to get this over with. I am ready to go into the Hunger Games. I am definitely ready to do some serious killing.

_**Inferno Blackheart **_

*Knock Knock*

I groan and shift casually in my soft bed.

*Knock Knock*

"Inferno?"

*Knock Knock*

I groan and climb angrily out of my bed. I stomp over to my bedroom door and swing it open.

"What?" I shout.

I see Ember, my identical twin sister staring at me. I lose my temper and sigh. I lean against the door frame and wipe my pale head with my pajama sleeve.

"It's time to go. Hurry up," she says. She turns around and stomps away to her bedroom. I shake my head and slam my bedroom door.

My sister and I are very similar. We are both evil, cruel, rude, sarcastic and ready to kill someone. We learned it from our father, who doesn't let anyone walk over him. Our mother died while giving birth to us. People always told us that she was a loving mother. She wanted to be with us so much, but she was also like my father. She had a cruel heart. She would just never hit us, unlike our father.

My dad hits me whenever he feels like it. He thinks it's his way of easing his pain. I can take his pain. Ember, however, doesn't like it when our dad hits her. She constantly wants to hit him too, but I tell her to control her feelings. She needs to save her anger for the Games.

I am ready to go into the Games this year. I'm eighteen. This is my last chance. I want to kill people. I want to watch them suffer from something _I_ did. It's my dream.

"Inferno! Are you coming or not?" Ember asks. I open my bedroom door and smile at her.

"Are you ready for this?" I ask. She nods her head.

"I'm always ready to kill people," she says.

I grab her hand and we walk out of our house. We walk to the town square. Soon, I am torn apart from my sister. This might be the last time I'm actually with her. I look at her before turning around to find my friends.

"Hey, man! Are you ready to kill people? It's Hunger Games season!"

I turn around and see my best friend, Travis Danfall. We have been best friends for as long as I can remember. We are both mean and wicked. We don't hesitate to kill people.

"Oh, you know this is my favorite time of the year," I say. He smiles and slaps my back.

"Well, may the odds be ever in your favor," he says.

I glance around the district and happen to glance over at a girl who appears to be around my same age. She has short black hair and dark brown skin. I smile and nudge Travis.

"Look at that girl," I say. He glances over at her and laughs.

"She's disgusting," he says.

Barry, our district escort, walks across the stage and smiles at us. I focus my attention on him. This is it. This is the moment I have been waiting for.

"Hello and welcome to the 100th Hunger Games. I must say that this is going to be an interesting year for the Games. I hope everyone is ready to put up a fight. May the odds be ever in your favor," he says.

He walks over to the girls' name bowl. He grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone.

"Kendall Rink," he says. I hear someone gasp. I look over and see a twelve year old girl step out of the crowd. She shakes her head, and I notice that her legs and hands are trembling with fear.

"Please, don't do this to me!" she shouts.

I notice the dark skinned girl I was talking about earlier stepping out of the crowd.

"Don't worry, little girl. I'll take your place. I volunteer! I volunteer for the girl tribute!" she shouts. I hear people gasp. She walks confidently up the steps and walks over to Barry.

"Don't worry. I want to do this. This is a perfect excuse to kill people," she says.

I look over at Travis. He looks at me and smiles.

"I like this girl," he whispers. I shake my head and smile.

"What is your name?" he asks her. She steps up to the microphone and smiles at us.

"Jolie Talon, and don't you ever forget it."

_**Jolie Talon **_

"Well, uhh…Jolie, it's a very brave thing you're doing. May the—" he starts to say.

"Yeah, yeah. May the odds be ever in my favor. That saying gets old after a while, Barry," I say. I hear some people laugh and I smile. I'm already winning sponsors. I can tell.

"Well, okay then. Let's pick our boy tribute," he says. He walks over to the boys' name bowl. He grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone.

"Alex Ervin," he says.

"No!"

My eyes find the voice in the crowd. A little boy, about the age of fourteen, steps out of the crowd. He clutches his older brother's hand and shakes his head.

"No! Trent! Please don't let this do this to me! I'm not ready to die!" he shouts. I smile and step up to the microphone.

"Oh, suck it up, kid," I say. He turns and looks up at me.

"You're a mean witch! I don't want to be paired up with you! I don't want anything to do with you! I'm not ready to die! You'll kill me!" he shouts. I laugh and shrug my shoulders. It's probably true.

"I volunteer!"

The crowd gasps and I search for the voice. Who is volunteering?

A fairly tall man with shoulder length red hair steps out of the crowd. He looks up at me and nods his head.

"I volunteer for the boy tribute," he says. The district guards quickly grab his arms and drag him up the steps. He walks over to me and shakes my hand.

"Hi," I whisper. He nods his head and glares down at Barry.

"Aren't you going to ask for my name?" he asks with a cruel tone. I don't know, but there is something about this guy that I find mysterious. I like it.

"Uhh…yes. What is your name?" Barry asks.

"Inferno Blackheart, and let's get this show on the road," he says.

I stare up at him and nod my head. He's definitely right. Let's get this killing and murdering show on the freakin' road. I am definitely ready to win this.


	3. Chapter 3: District 3

**District Three **

_**Darius Dragomir **_

"Do you realize that one of us could be going into the Games today?" my best friend, Lily asks.

I'm sitting my bedroom with my closest friends - Lily, Matt, Iris, Rory and Haruka.

"I don't even want to think about that," I say.

"It might happen," she says.

I hate the Hunger Games. It makes me mad, angry and upset. I am very scared of death, blood and bugs. You can't avoid those things in the Games. It's impossible. I don't know what I would do if I got sucked into that vicious game.

"Let's be hopeful and not think about that," Matt says.

I am not saying that if I went into the Games, I would die immediately. I would put up a fight. I've had several years of martial arts practices, and I'm pretty good at sword fighting. My top weapon of choice, however, would have to be the scythe. I can do some serious damage with that.

"I feel ready for the Games," Iris says. I shake my head and smile. Iris has always been ready for the Games. She has been training for as long as I can remember.

"Oh, I think we all know that," I say. She turns and sticks her tongue out at me.

*Knock Knock*

"Come in," I say.

My younger sister, Kurenai, enters my bedroom. She walks over to my bed and sits down.

"Hi," she whispers.

I worry about Kurenai sometimes. She's fourteen, but she's so weak and pale. She hardly talks to anyone her own age. She always wants to be with me and my friends. It's annoying sometimes, but I feel like she is depressed.

"What's up, Goldilocks?" I ask her. We both have blonde hair, but her hair is so gorgeous. Mine, however, is short and spiky. I'm not very attractive.

"Nothing," she whispers.

I turn and look at my friends.

"Talk to her," I whisper. Rory smiles and stands up. She walks over to Kurenai and sits down next to her.

"Are you ready for the Hunger Games?" she asks. Kurenai shakes her head, and I notice that a tear is slipping down her pale cheek.

"No," she whispers.

I stand up and walk over to her. I put my arms around her and rub her back.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry, Kurenai. It's going to be okay," I say soothingly.

"No, it's not. What if you get reaped? What if I get reaped? I'm going to die, Darius," she says. I shake my head and motion for my friends to leave the room. They smile and stand up. They quietly exit my bedroom.

"Kurenai, you can't think like this. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be just fine. Trust me. Your name is only in the bowl once. Mine is in it twenty times. I have a much higher chance of getting reaped. But, it's not going to happen. Okay? We're going to stay a family. Haku survived the Hunger Games without being reaped. He's twenty-one now. He's safe. I'm seventeen, so this means that I have only two more years to face it. You will survive this too. We all are going to be okay," I say.

She looks up at me and nods her head.

"Yes, Darius. I guess you're right," she says. She slowly stands up and walks out of my bedroom. I walk her walk away and shake my head.

I stand up and change into my clothes for the Reapings. I slip into black pants and a sky blue dress shirt. I look at myself in the mirror and sigh.

"This is as good as it's going to get," I say. I open my bedroom door and walk downstairs.

"Bye Mom and Dad. I love you," I say as I walk outside. Kurenai is already waiting for me at the mailbox. I walk over to her and notice that she is wearing a sky blue dress. I smile down at her.

"You look beautiful, Goldilocks," I say. She looks up at me and smiles.

"Thank you," she whispers.

I grab her hand and we both walk to the town square. I lean down to whisper into her ear.

"We're okay. We're going to be just fine."

_**Reagan Lockster **_

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games," our district escort Octavian said into the microphone.

I look around at the crowd of young teenagers standing around me. This morning has been a blur. All I can remember is the sound of my father waking me up, getting dressed in my cotton white and grey dress and walking to our district square.

"The Hunger Games are always my favorite time of the year. It's quite exciting, isn't it?" he asks.

The crowd is silent. No one dares to reply. No one likes the Hunger Games. That includes me.

"Well, let's just pick our girl tribute, shall we?"

He walks over to the girls' name bowl. I grip my dress and close my eyes. I can't possibly be chosen to go into these horrible games. I'm only sixteen. I still have a life to live. I am just going to sing a song to myself. Yeah, that will help. My dad always told me to sing when I was scared. He also told me to always be happy and cheerful. I can't think of the frightful things like the Hunger Games.

I decide to sing the song my mother always sang to me as a child when she would tuck me into bed. She would always tell me to close my eyes and dream of penguins, stars, princesses and flowers. I always sing this song when I'm scared.

_Sleep like an Angel, my little darling,_

_Sleep like a robin in a sunny meadow. _

_You will live to be a princess,_

_You will always be Mommy's little princess._

"Reagan Lockster!"

_Sleep little darling, sleep like an Angel,_

_I will keep you safe in my protective arms. _

_I love you, my little Angel,_

_I will never let the Hunger Games destroy you._

"Reagan Lockster!"

_Sleep my princess, sleep the night away,_

_Close your eyes and have pleasant dreams. _

_I will always love you,_

_I will keep you safe and sound—_

Suddenly, I am shoved forward from a girl standing behind me. I turn around and smile at her.

"Why did you shove me?" I ask her. She glares down at me.

"Didn't you hear him call your name?" she asks.

Wait…what? I turn around and look at Octavian. He motions for me to step forward.

I can't believe this. I got picked. I'm going into the Hunger Games. I stare straight ahead and force myself to stay calm. Go back to your happy place. Fake a smile. Be happy! Don't show your fear.

I step out of the crowd and being to skip up the steps toward Octavian. I smile and shake his hand.

"Hello," I say.

"Well, hello there! Were you off in your own little world for a moment there?" he asks. I smile and nod my head.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but I'm here now, aren't I?"

He smiles and pats my back. He turns to the audience.

"Well, here is our girl tribute for District Three. Reagan Lockster!" he shouts into the microphone.

I stand there with a smile on my face. No one knows how I truly feel though. What is going to happen to me? What about my dad? He has always been so protective of me. What is he going to do if I die? He already had to suffer with my mother's passing when I was five years old. This will kill him. But, what about me? What am I going to do?

_**Darius Dragomir **_

"Well, here is our girl tribute for District Three. Reagan Lockster!" Octavian shouts into the microphone.

I stare at the girl and smile. I notice that she is probably one year younger than me. She has medium length brown hair pulled up into pigtails. She is very thin and slightly tall. I smile and look at Matt.

"Not bad," I say. I'm just glad it's not Kurenai.

"Let's pick our boy tribute now," he says. He walks over to the boys' name bowl. He reaches down and grabs a slip of paper. He walks back over to the microphone and smiles.

"Darius Dragomir."

What?

"Darius, you got picked," Matt whispers. I slowly nod my head.

"I know. You don't have to tell me," I whisper.

I step out of the crowd and look at Octavian. I force myself not to show any emotions as I walk up the steps. I walk over to Octavian and shake his hand.

"Well, there we have it! We have our two tributes for District Three," he says into the microphone. He turns and looks at us. He motions for us to shake hands. I turn and look at Reagan. She smiles and extends her hand. I simply stare at it for what feels like an eternity.

"Come on, you two. Shake hands," Octavian says.

I take Reagan's hand in my mine and shake it. She smiles and leans forward.

"I'm scared too, you know," she whispers. I pull away from her and stare into her eyes.

There is something about her. There is something that is intriguing and mysterious, and almost crazy. Should I trust her? Should I trust anyone in the Games?

"Who said I was scared?" I ask. I pull my hand away from her and look down at the ground. Can we just get this over with now?


	4. Chapter 4: District 4

**District Four **

_**Lance Alcott **_

Standing at the dock over a beautiful lake, I smile as I gaze at the sun above the trees. I close my eyes and breathe in the warm, moist air. I wish I could do this all day. I wish I could fish and be near the water whenever I want. It doesn't happen though. I have my responsibilities.

Besides, it's the time of year again that I fear the most. The Hunger Games.

Do you want to know why I'm afraid of the Games? Do you want to know why I hate them with a very strong passion? It's easy. The Games killed my sister last year, and I am not ready to forgive them for that.

I can remember watching her death almost as if it was twelve minutes ago. I was sitting at home on the couch in our family room. My dad was watching the Games with me. My mom didn't watch the Games. She couldn't watch her oldest child, her only daughter, fight for her life. As her brother, I found it hard to watch certain moments of the Games myself.

She was running through the forest. The Games just started. My sister and I are very much alike. She was shy and quiet. She didn't talk to anyone. She didn't have any friends or boyfriends. She was very smart and studied all the time. She loved going to school to learn. She was weak and an easy target for everyone in the Games.

She ran throughout the forest. She was searching for a way out of the Games. She didn't like the Games. She wanted to get out of there fast, but it was too late. Out of nowhere, a big man from District Seven ran out of a nearby tree. He grabbed his knife and stabbed her in the heart.

I can remember her screams. They still haunt me to this day. Then, my mother's screams came next.

"_She's…dead? What? NO! Not my baby! PLEASE! NO!" _

I turn around and run away from the dock. I grab my fishing pole and run away from the lake. I have to stop thinking about this. I am not going to be reaped this year. They wouldn't do this. They wouldn't do this to my family. Or, would they?

I arrive in the time square and shake my head. This is it. This is the moment I have been waiting for. Being fourteen years old, I know that I will have many more years of experiencing this frightful feeling.

I see Zain walking over to the microphone. I shake my head and look at the strangers around me. Like my sister, I don't have any friends. I'm all alone.

"Well, welcome to another year of The Hunger Games! This year is going to be quite exciting, if I do say so myself. I can't give out any details about the Games, but it will be a memorable year for everyone. Let's get to the name drawing. May the odds be ever in your favor!" Zain says into the microphone.

She turns and walks over to the girls' name bowl. She digs through the bowl and carefully snatches a slip of paper. She smiles and walks over to the microphone. She looks down at the slip of paper and looks back up at us.

"Vertigo Wilson."

I search through the crowd, and instantly see a girl who appears to be twelve years old stepping out of the crowd. She tries to smile, but I can see the tears rolling down her cheek.

"Wait! I volunteer!"

Everyone in the crowd gasps and turns to find a girl who appears to be around my age stepping out of the crowd. She has white blond hair that flows down to her waist. She has light tanned skin with a little beauty mark above her upper lip. She's fairly tall, and sort of pretty. No, I take it back. She's really pretty. Have I seen her before? I don't think I have.

"Come on up here, honey!"

The girl walks up the steps with no smile on her face. She stares blankly at the crowd.

"What is your name?" Zain asks her. The girl turns to Zain and shakes her head.

"That's my information," she says coldly. Zain laughs and pats her back.

"Honey, you can tell us. We don't bite."

The girl stares at the crowd and shakes her head.

"My name is Indigo Nightshade, if you must know," she says. I smile and look at the people around me. I'm rooting for this girl. She seems to know how to fight.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Indigo. Why did you volunteer?" Zain asks. Indigo's eyes search for someone in the audience. When she spots the person, she shakes her head.

"He made me," she whispers. I turn around and look for the person she is looking at.

"Who made you, darling?" Zain asks. Indigo raises her arm and points to a middle-aged man.

"He did. My father. My father made me volunteer for the Games," she says. I turn and glare at her father. Who would want their daughter to volunteer for The Hunger Games? Doesn't he know she might possibly die? Or, does he not care?

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Indigo," Zain says. Indigo nods her head and slightly catches my eye. She looks away and stares straight ahead.

"Can you just pick my teammate?" she asks. Zain smiles and walks over to the boys' glass bowl. I close my eyes and pray to God that she doesn't say my name.

"Lance Alcott."

My eyes fly open, and I stare at the surroundings before me. Did I hear her correctly? Did she just say my name?

"Lance Alcott? Come on! Don't be shy!" she shouts in the microphone. I move out from the crowd and look at Zain. This is it. They picked me. And just like my sister, I am going to die.

_**Indigo Nightshade **_

Standing here in front of the crowd of people from my district, I feel alone and shattered. I must not show my fear and pain. I must be strong. If I show my weakness, I will never win the Games.

I find my father's face in the crowd again and glare at him. This is his entire fault. My father has always been cruel and snobby to me. He doesn't like it when people follow orders. I used to be a very good girl. I used to follow orders, and he quickly told me to stop doing that. He turned me into the cold person I am today. It's not my fault though. I just need to find the right person who will discover my true identity. Though, something deep inside me feels like that isn't going to happen.

Though, why did my father force me to volunteer for the Games? Well, he never got the chance to be in the Games. He always wanted to be in them to kill people. He wanted to murder people and be crowned the victor for our district. He never had that opportunity. So, he is forcing me to join the Hunger Games and become a victor. I don't think he quite understands that I might not survive this. Yes, I am strong. I'm not a weak little princess. I've been training ever since I learned how to walk. I'm ready for the Games, but I'm not ready to fight. I'm not ready to kill people. I'm just not…I'm not…not…

"Umm…you two are supposed to shake hands," Zain says. I snap out of my thoughts and finally realize that my partner in the Games is standing next to me. His name is Lance Alcott. He looks like he's around my age, but I can't trust him. He might be cute, but I can't trust his words and his actions. I can't trust anyone. My father taught me that a _long _time ago.

Lance extends his hand out to mine. I stare at him with a glare. I grab his hand and give it a hard squeeze. He jumps away from me and looks away. What a wimp!

"Indigo, I guess you don't know your own strength," Zain says with a laugh. I roll my eyes and step away from the podium.

"Can we just leave now? The reapings are done now. Let's go now," I say. I turn around and walk away from the two people on the stage. A guard grabs me and guides me over to a dark building. I stop walking and shake my head.

"Is this the place where I have to say good-bye to my family and stuff?" I ask. The guard nods his head.

"Yes," he mutters. I turn away from the building.

"I don't need to go there," I say.

"Don't you want to say good-bye to your mother and father?" he asks.

I think of my mother. I love my mom more than anything. She may be a ditz, but she cares about her family more than anything else in the world. I can't say good-bye to her. I can't see her tears. I must get away from this place. I must go now before I crumble down and show my true feelings.

"No. If you see my mother, tell her that I love her. I couldn't say good-bye to her because I would cry too much. Also, I don't want to see my dad. He ruined my life. He's ruining my future, and you can quote me on that," I say. I turn around and walk away from the guard. I turn around and face him.

"You can show me the train now. I'm ready to leave."

He doesn't move. He just stares at me with a blank expression on his face. I sigh and snap my fingers in his face.

"Now!"

He snaps out of his thoughts and glares at me. He grabs my hand and drags me away from the site. Good-bye District Four, hello The Hunger Games.


	5. Chapter 5: District 5

**District Five **

_**Apollo Cylpso **_

"Apollo, what if we go into the Games?" my girlfriend, Angel, asks me as we lay in the meadows outside my house. I sigh and pat her arm.

"Angel, do you really think they're going to pick us? We're only two people? Our chances aren't very high," I say. She sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know. It might happen," she says.

"Well, it won't happen," I say. She sighs and turns to look at me.

"Apollo, I want to tell you something," she whispers. I lean up and stare into her gorgeous blue eyes.

"I'm listening," I say. She smiles and I notice that she is blushing. I reach up and touch her cheek. She turns away from me.

"Apollo, don't do this now," she says. I frown and pull away from her. What's going on? What's wrong? I touch her cheek all the time. She's never had a problem with it. Well, until today.

"Angel, I'm listening. What's wrong?" I ask. She stands up and looks down at me. She shakes her head and turns away from my body.

"I can't tell you now," she whispers. I stand up and turn her around to face me.

"Tell me what?" I ask. She shakes her head and pulls my arms off of her.

"I have to go," she says. She begins to walk away. My heart pounds quickly. What is going on? Why is she acting this way? What did I do?

"Angel," I call out. She doesn't turn around. She doesn't say my name. She doesn't smile or laugh. She just walks straight ahead with determination, and fear, written across her face.

"Angel!" I shout. She moves faster. She runs through the meadows, quickly to get away from my presence.

I stand in the meadows with confusion written across my face. What is going on? What's wrong with my baby? My beautiful Angel?

_**Angel Ward **_

"Angel!"

I hear Apollo shout my name. I must get away from him. I must get away before I turn around and cry into his shoulder.

I run home and quickly get changed into a yellow dress that flows down to my knees. I comb my blonde hair and look in the mirror. This will have to do.

"Angel, are you ready?" my older brother, Chad, asks me. I turn around and smile. I must be strong. Chad is very worried about me. He is twenty-two years old. He's safe from the Games, but he is deadly afraid that I will be picked.

He isn't the only one afraid. Apollo might not seem afraid, but I know my boyfriend. He isn't afraid of his own life. He's afraid of mine. He protects me so much. I'm pretty sure he would die for me, but I don't know if I would actually let that happen.

A thought has been troubling me for a while now. What if Apollo and I both get reaped for the Games? I don't think I could handle that. Yeah, sure! It would be great to know someone in the Games, but I wouldn't want it to be my boyfriend. What if we were the last two standing? He would let me kill him. No, he would insist that I kill him. But, I don't know if I could do that. I can't kill the one person I love with my full heart.

Yes, I love Apollo. I've loved him for over two years now, but I haven't had the guts to actually tell him. That's what I was going to tell him in the meadows, but I chickened out. I just didn't think it was the right time. I mean, we're going to the reapings soon. What if he gets picked? What if I get picked? We would be separated, possibly forever. If I tell him I love him, then it will mess everything up. Plus, it'll only end up hurting me in the end. I don't think I can deal with that.

"Angel, are you coming?" Chad asks again. I look at myself for the last time in the mirror. I run out of my house and walk with Chad and my little sister, Allison, to the district square. Allison is twelve years old. This is her first year to participate in the reapings. She is scared out of her mind.

"Angel, what are they going to do to me?" she asks. I stroke her hair and smile.

"Nothing, honey. They aren't going to do anything to you. You're fine," I say.

We stand in the district square. I search for Apollo, but I can't find him. My heart pounds quickly in my chest. GiGi, our escort, walks over to the microphone.

"Hello! Welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! I must say that I am really excited about this year's Games? I see a lot of trained people in the crowds today. Well, let's get started by picking our girl tribute," she says.

She walks over to the girls' name bowl. She slips her perfectly manicured fingers into the bowl. She grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. She opens the paper and looks down at it. She smiles and looks at the crowd.

My heart beats loudly in my chest. Who is it? Is it me? Is it Allison? Come on! Say the name already!

"Ladies and gentlemen, our girl tribute for the 100th Hunger Games is…" GiGi says. I close my eyes and silently pray.

"Angel Ward."

My eyes fly open. I see everyone turning to look at me. My eyes look for Apollo, but I can't see him. I look ahead at GiGi. I step out of the crowd and look at everyone.

"Oh shit."

_**Apollo Cylpso **_

"Ladies and gentlemen, our girl tribute for the 100th Hunger Games is Angel Ward."

NO! My eyes quickly search for Angel. No, not her! No my Angel! She doesn't deserve this. She's a good girl. She has a bright future ahead of her. She loves life. She doesn't want it to end this soon.

I see her stepping out of the crowd. Her eyes search for me in the crowd. I raise my hands, but she doesn't see me. She is quickly dragged onto the stage. GiGi walks over to her, and gives her a nice hug. Angel awkwardly steps away from her. GiGi sighs and turns to the microphone.

"Well, now that we have our girl tribute, let's pick the boy to be with her. She can't do this alone!" she exclaims. She walks over to the boys' name bowl. I close my eyes and wait patiently for the name to be announced.

"Othello Cylpso."

My eyes fly open and quickly look down at my younger brother. He's thirteen years old, and very weak. He won't survive the Games. He slowly looks up at me and shakes his head.

"I'll try to keep Angel safe," he whispers. He steps out of the crowd. I shake my head and grab his arm.

"Othello, no! You're not going into the Games! You're too young. They'll kill you in ten seconds. Do you know how bloody the Games are? You've watched them! They're horrible! Do you really want to go into that kind of environment?" I ask. He stares up at me.

"It's not like I have a choice," he says. I shake my head and step out of the crowd.

"Yes, you do. Umm…excuse me! I volunteer for him. I'm his brother, and he is not going into the Games! I am! I volunteer! Put me in the Games! I'm ready for them anyway!" I shout.

"Apollo, no!" Angel shouts. GiGi stares at both of us. She motions for me to come up to the stage. I run up the steps and pull Angel into a tight embrace. GiGi clears her throat.

"I'm just curious, but are you two dating?" she asks. We both nod her heads. GiGi sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Oh boy. This happens every year now," she mutters. She smiles and motions for me to walk up to the microphone.

"Why don't you tell everyone your name?"

I sigh and look out at the crowd.

"I'm Apollo Cylpso," I say. GiGi smiles and turns to both of us.

"Well, I am very excited about the Games this year. I know you two will be excellent. May the odds be ever in your favor!" she says.

I turn and look at Angel. I grab her hand and intertwine our hands. She looks up at me and smiles shyly. I reach up and touch her left cheek. She sighs and shakes her head. She pulls away from me and turns away.

"Not now, Cylpso," she says. She steps off the stage and is lead into a small building. I watch her walk away in confusion. What is going on? And, how can I fix this problem? And, most importantly, how am I going to compete in the Games with the girl I love? I love her. I can't possibly kill her.


	6. Chapter 6: District 6

_**James Marin **_

"Do you realize that this might be the last time we're all together as a family?" my older brother, Bernard, asks as my family sits at the dining room table for breakfast. I look up at him and shake my head. Why does he have to bring this up? Right now? Especially in front of my mother?

"Bernard, don't talk about that," my father says. He looks at me. I'm the only one who might be picked for the reapings this year. My older brothers, Bernard, Ernest and Robert, are too old for the Hunger Games now.

Also, my little sisters, Maddie and Carrie, are too young for the Games. So, I'm the only one in my family that might die this year. I might get picked. I might have to go into the awful Games. That thought alone scares me to death.

To be honest, I'm afraid of the Hunger Games. I'm afraid of dying. I love my family. We're very close, and it would kill them if I died.

"Well, it's true," Bernard says softly. He looks at me and I stare at him. I don't want to think about that.

"Well, James, you look really nice today," my mom says.

I look down at my blue button-up shirt and khaki pants. Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it's not like I'm trying to impress any girls. Today, I'm here to impress the Capitol. If I get reaped, I want them to know that I'm nice, strong, kind and ready to fight. The problem is, however, that I'm not ready to fight. I can't kill people.

"Mom, I have to go to the district square now," I say. I stand up from the dining room table, and look at my family.

"Do you really have to go now?" Carrie asks me. I smile and nod my head.

"Yes, honey. I'll be fine though," I say. I turn around and walk out of the house. I have to get away from them. I have to do this alone.

I see Katia Sievert walking to the district square. I stop walking and stare at her. Katia and I are really good friends. Well, if I can get her to trust me. Katia is…different, but there is something about her that I like. I don't know what it is, but there is definitely something in my heart that flutters whenever I see her.

I finally arrive at the district square. Our escort, Cornelius, talks for a while about how he is very excited about this year's Hunger Games. My fingers shake at the thought of the Games. The Games are horrible. I try to forget about them, but it feels like they are slowly sucking my soul out with my every breath. If I go into the Games, it'll kill me. It's been killing me every year to watch other people – innocent people – die for no good reason. I wish there was a way to end the Games. We have to bring down the Capitol, but it will never happen. They will always control us. They will always defeat us, and it will end in destruction.

"Let's choose our girl tribute," Cornelius says. He walks over to the girls' name bowl. I stare at him as he picks a name. He smiles and walks over to the microphone.

"Katia Sievert."

I gasp loudly as I hear her name. No, not her. I look over at Katia. She is nodding her head and smiling. Why is she smiling? She shakes the dirt off of her torn knee-length blue skirt and dirty yellow blouse. She steps out of the crowd and walks up the steps. She looks calm. She doesn't look scared at her. How can she do that? Isn't she scared?

She shakes Cornelius' hand and looks at the crowd. She nods her head and steps away from Cornelius.

"Well, Katia, it's nice to have you on board with us for the 100th Hunger Games. I hope your experience is pleasant, and I hope you win. But before you go, we need to give you a boy tribute," he says. He walks over to the boys' name bowl. I close my eyes and pray for any name besides mine.

It feels like years before I hear the name. The name that made me fall to the floor. The name that me scared to death. The name that changed my life forever.

"James Marin."

_**Katia Sievert **_

"_You will always be my little girl."_

I shake my head and turn away from the train station in District 6. My eyes sting with fresh tears as I remember my father's last words to me before his tragic death.

"_I'll be safe. I'll be safe for you." _

I remember my older brother, Ryan, saying those words to me before he loaded onto the train. I shake my head and wipe away my tears.

"_I will always love you." _

My ex-boyfriend, Nate, said those words to mebefore he joined my family on the train. The train that ended up killing them. My family….the only people I ever truly loved.

It was my fault. I was training to be a traffic director at the time. I was working at the control center when I noticed that a fuel train was veering off course. I knew it was the train that my loved ones were on. I desperately tried to control the engineer, but the radio waves were down. There was nothing I could do. I tried, but I failed.

So, I ran to the station as quickly as I could. I wanted to save them. I wanted to save my family, but it was too late. I arrived only to watch the train crash and erupt into a fiery inferno. Everyone was killed. My dad, brother and ex-boyfriend all died at once.

I can see remember the tears running down my face. People said they could hear my screams a mile away. I lose my family. I was all alone, but the worst had only begun.

The Capitol didn't want to be blamed for the accident. I mean, it was their fault that the radio waves were down, but they didn't want to blame themselves. Instead, they blamed me. They told me that I'm a criminal and I was responsible for the deaths. Now, I am a wanted criminal. People hate me. I was forced to flee, and I'm avoiding the Peacekeepers here. I just don't know what to do with my life now. I hate myself. I used to be a good girl. I used to be happy. I used to love life, but that was the past. I am now a scared, defensive, vicious girl because I've had to defend myself and survive on the run. I'm always running away from danger. I can't trust anybody. Not even my friend, James Marin.

I know who killed my family and ex-boyfriend. It was me. It was my fault. I killed them. I'm a horrible person, and I deserve to go into the Hunger Games this year. I won't be surprised if I am picked. The Capitol hates me. They'll want to see me get killed. They'll laugh at my murder.

I met James Marin at school. He always called me Kitty. It was his joke. We stayed friends for a very long time. He didn't leave me when the news about my family's accident came about. He stayed friends with me. My other friend, Iris Simkins, was always there for me. Whenever I needed help, she would come with bright ideas. I trusted her. I never thought she would turn on me.

She believed I was a criminal. Just like the district, she turned on me. She told me I was a bad person. She told me that I killed my family because I'm a murderer. She didn't want to be my friend anymore, and she didn't even let me explain. She didn't listen to me. She just told me those things, and then she was gone. Forever.

James kind of took her place after she left my life. He told me it wasn't my fault. He believed me. He wanted me to trust him, but I don't trust him. I can't trust anyone. Can you really blame me?

As I walk to the district square, I feel like someone is staring at me. I shake my head and approach the district square. I see Cornelius talking to the crowd. I shake my head and stand next to a girl I've never met before. She looks down at me. I see her glare and step away. She hates me too. How can you hate someone that you don't even know? She doesn't know my story. She only knows what people have told her. Rumors, I tell you.

"Let's choose our girl tribute," Cornelius says. He walks over to the girls' name bowl and smiles. He slips his hand into the bowl and grabs a slip of paper. He walks over to the microphone and stares at us.

"Katia Sievert."

I knew it. I knew they would pick me. I nod my head and smile. They want to see me fight? They want to see me die? Well, I'll show them. I'll give them a good show.

I step out of the crowd and walk over to Cornelius. I shake his hand and step away from him.

"Well, Katia, it's nice to have you on board with us for the 100th Hunger Games. I hope your experience is pleasant, and I hope you win. But before you go, we need to give you a boy tribute," he says. I smile and nod my head.

Yes, it will be a good experience. I'll show the Capitol. I'll show them what I've got. They think I'm a criminal? Oh, no! I'm not a criminal. Well, not yet.

Cornelius walks over to the boys' name bowl and draws out a name. He walks over to the microphone and smiles.

"James Marin."

I gasp and look for James. My only friend in the world is joining me in the Games. Oh boy. This could be interesting.

_**James Marin**_

I am suddenly dragged onto the stage. I stare at Cornelius and shake my head. Why did this happen?

"James," Katia whispers. I stare at her and shake my head. I can't kill her. I can't kill anybody. I'm not that kind of person.

"Well, I think you two will make a good pair," Cornelius says.

"I can't kill her," I say. He turns and looks at me.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asks. I look at the crowd and shake my head.

"Do you really expect me to go into the Games and kill people? I'm not like that. I can't kill Katia. She's my friend. She's my best friend. Right, Kitty? You can't kill me. I can't kill you. We're a team. We've always been. We can't do this," I say. She stares at me and shakes her head.

"Stop," she whispers. I shake my head.

"I can't kill her. I can't kill anyone. I hate the Hunger Games," I say. Cornelius sighs and shakes his head.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you don't have any choice. But, if you're friends, that's great. You'll make a great team. That's great! And, may the odds be ever in your favor."

I turn and look at Katia. He's wrong. The odds are definitely not in my favor.


	7. Chapter 7: District 7

**District Seven **

_**Tasi Merkava **_

"_You want to tell me why you're here, boy?" _

"_I'm lost. Can you help?" I answer. _

"_Boy, what happened to you?" _

"_Please, just help me. I need a home. I need someone to look after me. I'm all alone. I'm only eight years old. Can't you do this for me? Please?" I plead. _

I shake my head at the memory of when I first arrived at the lumbar yard. I was eight years old. I was alone and lost in the woods. My father abandoned me when I was five. My mother died when she gave birth to me. People told me that she loved me. She wanted to make sure I was okay. She sacrificed her life to make sure I would live.

My father, on the other hand, did not see it that way. He blamed me for my mom's death. I can remember his words to this day. It was a cold, rainy day in September. We were walking in the woods outside our home. He told me he wanted to talk. He wanted to show something to me. Naturally, I followed him. I didn't know what was about to happen.

"_Son, I want to talk to you," he said. _

"_What is it, Daddy?" _

"_I have to let you go," he said. I stared up at him with confusion._

"_What do you mean? Let me go?" _

"_Tasi, you killed your mother. Don't you see? She gave birth to you. She died. It was your fault. Sometimes, I wish you were never born. She would still be here," he said. _

_At that moment, I started crying. My father was telling me that I killed my mom. _

"_It wasn't my fault. I couldn't help it," I said. He shook his head._

"_It was your fault. So, I'm going to leave you here, son. I'm going to leave you here in the woods," he said. _

"_But why?" I asked. _

"_Don't ask why. Just do what I say. Don't follow me. Stay here. Stay far away from me," he said. _

"_But I'm just a little kid! Animals might get me and kill me, Daddy! I can't protect myself! Why are you doing this to me? It wasn't my fault!" I screamed. _

_He turned away from me, and ran out of the woods. _

"_DADDY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. He turned around and looked at me for the last time._

"_I'm not your father," he said. _

I snapped my head back to reality and stared at the lumbar field before me. This is my home now. I came here to seek for help. I never imagined I would stay here this long.

"Tasi, it's time for you to leave for the district square. As much as I hate to say it, it's true. Please, be safe," my "father" says.

I consider the man, Haloti Merkava, my father. He owns the lumbar yard I work at. He took me in when I was cold and lonely. I can trust him. He raised me to be the gentle, hard-working, kind and loyal person I am today. I don't know who I would be without him.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you," I say. I kiss him on the cheek before leaving the lumbar yard. As soon as I step out of the house we own, my German Shepherd, Hope, jumps up from her usual resting spot. She walks beside me as I walk into the woods. I found Hope when I was seven. She was just walking in the woods. She was completely alone. She was my first friend. Well, she's my only friend.

I never met any friends. People think I'm weird because I work at the lumbar yard all the time. They also think it's weird that I don't have two parents. It's not my fault. I did have a loving mom. It's not my fault she died. It's also not my fault that my father was a bum and didn't want me.

"Hope, do you think I'll win the Hunger Games if I get picked?" I ask. She looks up at me. Then, she looks down at my feet. I walk with a slight limp. Yeah, when I was twelve years old, I had a huge accident. I was working in the woods. I was cutting down some trees, but a tree fell down on my right knee. It tore all the ligaments in my leg. I also broke my right leg. I never fully recovered from the accident. If I do get picked to go into the Games, I'll never survive. One, I hate killing people. I couldn't do it. I'm too nice. Two, I have a limp. I'd never be able to outrun all the other tributes. I mean, I'm strong. I'm very muscular, but my best strength is tree knowledge. I love axes. It's my best weapon, but other than that, I'm not that great.

I finally arrive at the district square. I stand in the crowd and just wait for it all to end. They can't pick me. Haven't I already suffered enough in my life?

Our escort, Xena, walks on the stage. She smiles as she walks over to the microphone.

"Hello! This is my favorite time of the year. I love the Hunger Games with a strong passion. Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember watching it with my family. I knew someday that I would be involved somehow. I am blessed to be your district escort this year. I am so excited to see who the tributes are. May the odds be ever in your favor! Oh, and don't be afraid of the Games. If you believe in yourself, you will win. You have to be positive," she says. I roll my eyes. Good luck with that.

"Well, let's get started, shall we? Let's choose our girl tribute. Wait…no. I am going to do things differently this year. I hate following the crowd. As you can tell by my clothes, I'm adventurous," she says. I stare at her clothes and laugh. She's wearing a bright orange skirt and lime green shirt. Her hair is dyed black with streaks of orange, blue and purple in them.

"So, let's choose our boy tribute. Wait…no. I'd better not do that. Let's choose our girl tribute," she says. I roll my eyes. Is she drunk?

She walks over to the girls' name bowl. She slips her hand into the bowl and walks back to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome our girl tribute. The chosen one is Malaya Ruanda," she says. I hear cries from the girls' section of the crowd. I cover my ears so I don't have to hear the girl's cries. I don't need to hear this. I can't. I just can't.

_**Malaya Ruanda **_

I scream at the top of my lungs. I see myself falling to the hard ground. I bury my head into my shaking hands. No! Why does this have to happen? I'm a good girl! I'm kind, caring, quiet and shy. I'm gentle and polite. I would never hurt a fly. I have good manners. I'm a good person. I don't deserve to be forced into the awful Hunger Games.

I can't do this. I can't kill other people. I mean, I can prove to be a bloodthirsty killer if I wanted to do that. That's the thing though. I don't want to do that. I don't want to kill people. I don't want to fight for my own life.

I am suddenly dragged onto the stage. I kick and scream my head off. I don't care if I look like a freak. I'm scared to death! I don't want to do this. Xena runs over to me and strokes my hair.

"Honey, you don't have to scream. Calm down, child. It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Just fight for your life, and you'll be okay," she says. I shake my head.

"I don't want to fight for my life! I don't want to do this!"

Xena looks at the guards.

"Take her away," she says.

The guards pick me up and carry me off the stage. I scream and try to kick them. They drag me away to a small building. They force me into a small room.

"Wait here until your tribute partner arrives. Then, you'll have five minutes to say good-bye to your family," one guard says. They close the door, and I sit down on a chair. I place my head in my hands. I shake with fear. Why does this have to happen?

I cry my heart out. This is the end. I'm going to die soon. I can't do anything to stop this. I can't run away. They'll find me and punish me. I hate my life. I hate this. I used to be a happy girl, but that was the past. I hate my life now. I hate everything.

_**Tasi Merkava **_

After watching Malaya's outbreak, I became more scared. I'm scared for her. She looks so scared. I've never met her, but I wish I could help.

"Well, let's choose our boy tribute," Xena says. She walks over to the boys' name bowl. She slips her manicured hands into the bowl and picks out a name. I close my eyes and pray.

"Tasi Merkava."

My eyes pop open and I stare at my surroundings. You have got to be kidding me. I step out of the crowd and look at Xena. Why does life hate me?

"Come up here, sweetie," she says. I walk up the steps and stare at the crowd. Xena smiles at me.

"Well, thank you for not crying about this," she says. I glare at her. Is she making fun of Malaya?

"Excuse me? Are you making fun of Malaya? She had every right to act that way! She was scared. I'm scared too! We're going to be forced to enter this stupid competition to save our lives. We have every right to be scared!" I shout. I storm off the stage and run over to the little building I know we are supposed to go. I storm into the building, and see two rooms. I walk over and open one. Malaya stands up quickly and looks at me.

"What do you want?" she asks. I shake my head.

"Don't hurt me. I'm your tribute partner," I say. She shakes her head and glares.

"Get out of here! This is my room! Go to your own room! I want to be alone!" she shouts. I step away quickly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," I say. She sighs and sits down on her chair.

"It's not your fault, but we technically are supposed to be in our own rooms. I have to say good-bye to my family. You have to say good-bye to your family," she says. Yeah, one person.

"I'm sorry, Malaya," I say. She looks up at me, and I see a smile creep up on her lips.

"You're not that bad," she whispers. I turn away from her and begin to walk out of the room. I turn around to catch one last look at her. I notice her straight, auburn hair and fair skin. I smile at her appearance.

"You're not that bad either," I say. She looks up and smiles.

"I must've looked like a complete idiot out there," she says. I stare at her and shake my head.

"No, you were fine. You were just scared. You had every right to act like that," I say. I turn around and walk out of her room. I close the door behind me and lean against it.

"Oh, I feel a headache coming on," I say. I shake my head to clear my head. This is going to be interesting. I can honestly say that my life isn't boring.

"Let the games begin."


	8. Chapter 8: District 8

**District 8**

_**Simon Vitalee **_

"Are you ready for the Hunger Games?" my best friend and cousin, Denver, asks me. I shrug my shoulders. No, not exactly.

I despise the Hunger Games. I hate them so much. They took Michael, Denver's brother, away from him last year. Unfortunately, he never made it back home. He was killed right after the Games started. It shocked our entire family. He was seventeen years old, but he had a heart like a kid. He was nice to everyone.

I'm twelve years old. I don't think it would be fair if I got picked to go into the Games. It's cruel to send a kid my age into an arena to fight for my life. I would be fighting against eighteen years old. I wouldn't stand a chance.

I'm so glad Denver is my age. He will be at the reapings with me. I won't be completely alone. Thank goodness for that.

I have a game strategy if I do get picked to compete in the Games. Get a backpack and run for your life! Also, get some allies if they seem willing. I will stay away from people, for the most part. One thing is for sure; I'm not ready to die.

"Simon, are you going to answer my question?" Denver asks again. I snap out of my thoughts and smile.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was thinking," I say. He smiles and nudges my shoulder.

"Was it about a pretty girl?" he asks. I blush and shake my head.

"No, I was thinking about the Hunger Games. I'm not ready for them. I'm definitely not ready to die," I say. He nods his head.

"I can understand. I disagree with you though. I mean, I'm ready for the Games. I'm not ready to die. I'm not suicidal, but I'm ready to fight. I want revenge. That's all I want," he says. I sigh and look away.

"I know," I whisper. He looks at me and shakes his head. I know he is struggling with his inner emotions. I lightly pat his back.

"They killed my brother. I have to do something about that. I won't give up until the day I die," he says. I shake my head and quickly get changed into my clothes. My mom, Marion, wanted me to look my best. I am wearing a white button-up shirt, black trousers, black shoes and a black blazer. I smile at myself.

"Are you ready?" I ask Denver. He smiles and nods his head.

"We're in this together, Simon. You're my best friend," he says. I smile and shake his hand.

"Thanks," I whisper.

I do admit that if he gets picked, I don't think I could possibly live. He's my best friend. He's also my cousin. If I lose him, I lose a friend and a family member. That sucks…big time.

We quickly exit my house and walk to our district square. Fear pours through me at lightning speed. I'm not ready to do this. I see Ferrari, our escort, and I can hear my heart pound quickly. This is it. This is really happening.

She walks over to the microphone and smiles at us. How can she smile at a time like this?

"Hello and welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! I am very excited about this year's Games. I hope everyone is as excited as I am. Let's get this started by choosing our girl tribute," she says.

She walks over to the girls' name bowl. She smiles as she reaches her perfectly manicured hand into it. She grabs a slip of paper, and walks over to the microphone. She opens the paper and looks at the name.

"Maddie Wilde."

I look over and see a girl in a blue dress stepping out of the crowd. I smile when I see her. I know this girl. I've seen her around a little bit. She's fourteen years old, and she is very charming.

"Maddie Wilde, come on up here," Ferrari says.

Maddie stares at everyone and slowly makes her way up the steps. She walks over to Ferrari and lightly shakes her hand. You can tell that she is shocked and angry. She glares at the crowd and looks down at the ground. My heart goes out to her. This poor, unfortunate soul. {If anyone can guess what Disney movie song that is, you get brownie points from the author? lol}

_**Maddie Wilde**_

"Your mother was a very brave mother. She always loved you. She would've wanted to be here. She would want to kiss you good-bye before you went to the reapings. She would tell you that you're going to be okay. You're going to be fine. You're our Angel. Everything is going to be fine," my father, Matthew, says. I smile and nod my head.

I wish my mother was here. She died three years ago from starvation. She left me, my dad and my two twin sisters, Hannah and Laura, to live on our own. It wasn't her choice, obviously. She fought until the last second of her life.

If I have to go into the Hunger Games, I will try to act just like her. I'll be brave, confident, strong and ready to fight. I'll try to use my funny personality to win sponsors. I will put on a good show for the Capitol. That is my main goal.

If I die, I want it to be for a reason. I don't want to die from illness or starvation. I want to die for someone else. I want to save someone else. It's the best reason to die in that arena.

My little sisters are only eight years old. They don't really understand the Hunger Games. They just think I'm their fourteen year old sister, and I have to go to a place for a little bit. If I get picked to compete in the Games, they will just think I'm going on a vacation. I won't tell them the truth. I don't think I could tell them what was going to happen to me. They already lost their mother. I couldn't tell them that they might lose me too.

"Thanks, Dad," I say. I turn around and get changed into my blue dress. It belonged to my mother when she was my age. My dad gave it to me when she died. He told me that she wanted me to have it. The memories of my mother will always stay with me until I die.

"I love you," he whispers. I smile and kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you too," I say. I turn around and head for the front door of our house.

"Maddie!" I hear my sisters shout. I turn around and see them standing in the living room. They're both staring at me.

"Are you going to the place you told us about?" they ask. I nod my head. They just think I'm going to a convention for school. I know it's wrong to lie to my family, especially to my younger sisters, but I couldn't help it. I'm protecting them.

"Yes, I am," I say. They smile and wave good-bye to me.

"Have fun! We love you!" they shout. Since they think I'm going to a convention for school, they won't know if I get reaped. If I do get reaped, they won't be there to tell me good-bye. This might be the last moment I see them. I shake my head to avoid the tears. I sniff and rub my eyes.

"I will try to have fun. I love you too," I say. I turn around and quickly run out of my house.

"Maddie!" I hear two people shout. I glance up and see my two best friends in the whole world, Adam and Sylvia. I smile and run over to them. I hug them both and sigh.

"Hi, guys," I say. I look at them both and smile. They look perfect, especially Adam. We've been friends for eight years now. Over the years, I've developed a crush on him. I couldn't help it. He's my best friend. My mom always told me to marry my best friend. That's what she did with my dad, and it seemed to work out for them.

"You look like you've been crying," Adam says. I blush and shrug my shoulders.

"You must not be wearing any shoes and the scent is just burning my eyes," I joke. He smiles and playfully shoves my shoulder.

"Oh, you're so funny," he says. Sylvia stands between us and puts her hands on her hips.

"Hey, now! No fighting! This might be the last time we're all together as friends. Let's not fight!" she exclaims. I smile and we walk to the district square.

"Why do you say stuff like that? We're not going to get reaped. We're going to be safe and sound. Before you know it, we will be back at school and doing stupid math problems," I say. Adam laughs and messes up my hair.

"And you'll be cheating off of me too," he says. I gasp and shake my head.

"I never cheated off of you! You tell lies!" I shout. Sylvia laughs and stops walking. She stares straight ahead. Then, she looks at us. I see the crowd of people standing in front of us. I turn to my best friends and smile.

"We've been here two times now. We survived both times. We will survive again," I say. Adam nods his head and smiles.

"I guess you're right," he says. Sylvia nods her head and looks at us.

"Well, I guess we have to separate now. Adam, you have to go to the boys' side. Maddie and I have to go to the girls' side," she says. I shake my head and roll my eyes. I hate how they separate the boys from the girls. We're a district. We should all stand together as one huge family.

Adam looks at me and smiles. He reaches out and touches my cheek slightly. I blush and look into his eyes. He smiles with his cute grin.

"You're going to be okay," he says. I nod my head and smile.

"Thanks," I say. He turns and touches Sylvia's cheek slightly. He looks into her eyes and smiles. I look away and frown. I thought he liked me. I thought it was a sign. He was just doing this to both of us. He doesn't really like me. Get over yourself.

"You're going to be okay too," he tells her. She smiles and nods her head.

"Thanks," she says. She grabs my hand and we walk to the girls' section. I stand there and wait for the reaping to begin.

I see our district escort, Ferrari, walk over to the microphone. She talks a little bit about her excitement for the Games. How can anyone be excited to watch people die? She walks over to the girls' name bowl. I smile to myself.

"_It's not going to be me. It's not going to be me. I'm fine. I will survive. I will survive," I think to myself. _

"Maddie Wilde."

I gasp and look up at Ferrari. What?

I step out of the crowd and stare at Ferrari.

"Maddie Wilde, come on up here," she says.

I stare at everyone and slowly make my way up the step. I walk over to Ferrari and lightly shake her hand. I'm ready for this. I might be thin and frail, but I'm ready to put on a good show. I'm not ready to die, but I am ready to put up a fight.

I turn and glare at the crowd. Then, I look down at the ground and keep my eyes focused on my shoes. This is it.

"This is for you, Mom," I say.

_**Simon Vitalee **_

"Let's choose our boy tribute now," Ferrari says. She walks over to the glass bowl and grabs a slip of paper. She walks over to the microphone and smiles.

"Simon Vitalee."

I gasp and look at everyone. What?

"Simon Vitalee."

I heard you the first time! My legs can't seem to move. I stand there in complete shock.

"Simon? It's okay. Guards, find him," she says. I start to freak out. They're coming to get me. They're going to get me!

I can't believe this happened. I'm only twelve. Why are they doing this to me? I feel tears forming in my eyes. No, I am not going to cry.

I feel someone grabbing my arm. I look and see a guard tugging on my right arm. I pull back and shake my head. I whimper and dig my feet into the ground.

"No!" I shout.

"Simon, please come up here," Ferrari says. The guard glares at me and tugs harder on my arm. I cry out and feel tears streaming down my face. I quickly wipe them away. I am not going to cry in front of everyone!

"No!" I shout.

The guards grab me and pull me out of the crowd. I scream and shout for my parents. They drag me onto the stage. They place me next to Maddie. I sigh and stand there, completely motionless.

"Well, let's welcome our tributes for District Eight," Ferrari says. She waits for the crowd to cheer. She is met with complete silence. She sighs and turns to us.

"Well, shake hands," she says.

I look at Maddie. She turns and looks into my eyes. I catch a glimpse of her beautiful dark brown eyes that have flecks of light brown in them. They are hidden behind black glasses, but they make her look intelligent. I smile and extend my hand. She's cute. I feel like I can trust her. She stares at me and slowly extends her hand. We shake hands and she smiles slightly. I have a good feeling about this now – now that I have Maddie. The girl of my dreams.


	9. Chapter 9: District 9

**District 9 **

_**Thalia Millentum **_

"Daddy, they aren't going to hurt me, are they?" I ask as I get dressed in my sky blue dress. He leans down on one knee and looks into my eyes. He smiles and touches my cheek.

"No one is going to hurt my Thalia," he says. I smile and look up at my two older brothers, William and Clark.

"Thanks. I guess I'm ready to go," I say. I look around at my house. This might be the last time I will ever see this house.

"Be brave, sweetheart," my dad says.

I smile and nod my head. I will try to be brave. To be honest, I'm scared to death of the Hunger Games. I'm only twelve years old. I don't think people this young should be placed in an arena with eighteen year olds. My brother, Clark, is eighteen. I can never win in a wrestling match against him. Those are just for fun though. If I had to fight an eighteen year old in the Hunger Games, I would die for sure.

I step outside of our house with my brothers. I begin to close the door when it is suddenly pulled open. My little sister, Violet, jumps outside. She's nine years old, but she is so energetic and athletic.

"Guys, you can't leave!" she shouts. She runs over and hugs us. I smile and look up at William and Clark.

"Violet, we're going to be okay," I say. Clark leans down and smiles at her.

"Yeah, princess. Nothing is going to happen to us. Now, go back upstairs and take your nap. By the time you wake up again, we will all be home. We'll be safe and sound for another year," he says. She shakes her head and looks at me.

"No! Something is going to happen to you," she says. I look at her. To me? Why is she saying that?

"What do you mean, Violet?" I ask. She stares at me and starts to cry.

"You're going to get reaped, Thalia. I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen to our family. You're really young and innocent. You're clever and sweet. The Capitol is cruel and awful! They will want to kill you! You're going to be reaped! YOU ARE!" she shouts. William leans down and picks her up.

"Honey, why are you saying those things? They aren't true," he says as he drags her into the house. She turns around and looks at me.

"You're going to be reaped!" she shouts. William forces her into the house and closes the door. He grabs a chair and places it on the door so she can't follow us. He turns around and looks at us.

"Well, I think we should go now," he says. I turn around and begin to walk to the district square. Violet's words still haunt me. Am I going to be reaped? No. It's impossible. I'm only a little kid.

We arrive at the district square, and I torn apart from my brothers. I scream their names.

"William! Clark!" I shout. They look at me and shake their heads.

"You'll be fine!" they shout. I stare at them, and I see a few tears form in Clark's eyes. He quickly wipes them away and smiles. He turns around and walks away from me. I look up at William. He is staring at me and shaking his head.

"Go, Thalia," he says. I turn around and begin to walk away. I turn my head to look at him one last time. I see a few tears forming in his eyes. He glares and clinches his fists. He turns around and runs away from me. I turn around and feel tears in my own eyes.

"Thalia! Come stand next to me!" I hear someone shout. I glance up and see my best friend, Delia Sorgam. I smile and run over to her. I lean down and give her a hug.

"We're in this together," I say. She nods her head.

"How are your burns?" she asks. I stare at her and shrug my shoulders.

"They're still there," I say. I glance around at the crowd. I don't really want to talk about the burns that cover my body. She knows that.

"I'm sorry," she says. I shrug my shoulders and smile.

"It's not your fault," I say.

I see our escort, Sven, walk over to the microphone. This is it. It's really happening.

"Hi, everyone! Welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! This is going to be an interesting year, but I don't have to tell you that. Every year is interesting and exciting! I am proud to be your escort. We always get a good group of tributes to represent the district. Let's choose our girl tribute. Shall we?"

He walks over to the girls' name bowl with his head held high. He picks up a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. I cross my fingers, and hope for the very best.

"Thalia Millentum."

Have you ever had one of those moments when the world seems like it's in slow-motion? You feel like you're watching everything from above the world, and you can't control anything? Well, that is how I feel right now. I see the guards running over to me. I see Delia turning and hugging me tightly to her. She is crying. I hear two boys shout my name. I know they are my brothers, but I don't reply. The guards grab me and drag me out of the crowd.

I push them away from me and fix my dress. I tell them that I can do this on my own. I straighten my dress and stare at Sven. I smile and walk up the steps to the stage. I want to be brave. I don't want to scare my family. I want them to know that I am okay.

I will be okay. I'm a good girl. Nothing bad will happen to me. I am positive about that.

_**Alby Blossom **_

"It's time to go, Alby," my mother shouts as I am getting dressed in my light blue dress shirt and beige vest. I put on my matching slacks, black tie and dull black dress shoes. I smile at myself in the reflection.

I turn around and run out of my bedroom. I run downstairs and see my whole family sitting down at the kitchen table. I walk over to them and smile.

"Are you ready?" my father asks. I nod my head and smile.

"Do you ever talk?" my older brother, Ilow, asks me. I smile and roll my eyes.

"Yes, I do talk," I say. I grab an apple from the kitchen table and begin to eat it.

"You're just so shy. You won't stand a chance in the arena," he says.

"I won't get reaped," I say. My mom looks at me and smiles.

"That's right, Alby. You won't get reaped. You're going to be safe and sound. No one is going to hurt you," she says. She stands up from the table and walks over to me. She places her hands on my shoulders and sighs.

"What is it?" I ask. She smiles and shakes her head.

"You're just so grown up. I can't believe you're sixteen years old. Where did the time go?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders and smile.

"I love you," I say. She smiles and nods her head.

"I love you too," she says. She leans down and kisses my cheek. I step away from my family and wave good-bye.

"I'll see you soon," I say. I turn around and run out of my house. As soon as I step outside, I hear someone shouting my name. I look up and see my best friend, Ritneli. I smile and run over to her.

"Hi!" I shout. She smiles and slaps my shoulder.

"Let's do this!" she shouts. I smile and follow her to the district square. As we walk, I feel something hit my back. I turn around and see a group of boys staring at us. I roll my eyes and groan.

"Not this again," I say. They pick up more rocks and throw them at me.

"Well, look who it is! Alby Blossom! Hey, dork! I hope you get reaped! You deserve to die!" they shout. They throw more rocks at me. I step away from them. I want to speak out. I want to throw rocks at them, but I can't. I'm too dang shy to do anything.

"Do you want me to shove those rocks in an uncomfortable place?" Ritneli asks them with a glare in her eyes. I turn to her and smile. The boys laugh and turn around.

"Ritneli, you wouldn't stand a chance in the Hunger Games. You act like you're tough and everything, but we saw you when your twin sister died in the Games last year. You cried all the time. The Hunger Games doesn't want wimpy little girls like you," they say. I look at Ritneli and see the blood boiling in her body. She clinches her fists and glares.

"I would kill you first!" she shouts. They pick up more rocks and throw them at us. Ritneli grabs the one aiming at me. She catches it in her fist. She turns and look at them.

"Don't mess with us ever again!" she shouts. She hurls the rock at them. It hits one of the boys in the head. He yells and touches the spot where the rock landed.

"You two both deserve to die!" he shouts. They turn around and run away from us. I look at Ritneli and smile. She smiles and turns around. She grabs my arm and pulls me to follow her.

"You were amazing," I say. She smiles and nods her head.

"Thanks," she says. We arrive at the district square. I stare at it. Another year of this. I look at Ritneli. I don't know what I would do without her. She's always been there for me. She helped me with bullies. That's actually how we made. I can still remember that moment today. I was ten years old. I was struggling to get to class. My little sister, Camrose, was in kindergarten. I just got done walking her to class. I always tried to protect her from bullies, but it seems like the bullies didn't want to mess with her. Instead, they wanted to mess with me.

"_Hey, dork!" someone shouts. I turn around and see a kid running toward me. He shoves me down onto the ground. I cry out from the pain. He proceeds to kick me in the stomach and butt. _

"_Get up!" he shouts. I shake my head and bury my head in my hands. He kicks me again. _

"_Did you not hear me, Blossom? I told you to get up!" he shouts. _

"_Hey! Leave him alone!" I hear someone shout. I look up and see a young running toward me. She leans down and wipes the hair away from my forehead. She's my age. She has dark black hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a yellow dress with daisies on it. I smile at her. She's kind of pretty. _

"_We're taking care of him," the bully says. The girl looks up at him and glares. She stands up and marches over to him. She grabs his shirt and pushes him against the wall. _

"_Did you not hear me? I told you to leave him alone! Nobody wants you here! Leave!" she shouts. The bully looks shocked that she is being forceful with him. He sighs and steps away from her. He holds up his hands and proceeds to walk away._

"_It won't happen again," he says. He turns around and calmly walks away. The girl sighs and looks down at me. _

"_Thank you," I whisper. She rolls her eyes and helps me stand up._

"_You should be able to protect yourself," she says. I stare at her and nod my head. _

"_Sorry," I say. She looks at me and smiles. _

"_It's okay. I'm Ritneli Evans. I just moved here," she says. I nod my head and smile. _

"_I'm Alby Blossom," I say in a shy tone. She smiles and pats my back. _

"_You're shy. I can tell. Oh well! Once you get through me, you will be loud and a social king," she says. She turns around and begins to run away. She turns around and looks at me. _

"_Are you coming?" she asks. I smile and nod my head. I follow her outside, and we have been best friends ever since. _

I stare at Ritneli now. She has grown up a lot. Her hair is still black, and her eyes are still dark brown. She's grown taller, and she ditched the dress a long time ago. She now wears athletic clothes all the time. Somehow, it fits her personality. Today, she is wearing a dark red dress with roses on them. Her hair is in a high bun.

"I guess this is it for now," she says. I smile and nod my head.

"I guess so," I say. She reaches up and gives me a warm hug. I smile and wrap my arms around her.

"Please don't get picked," she whispers. I smile and pull her away from me. I smile and nod my head.

"The same thing goes for you," I say. She shakes her head.

"The odds are definitely not in my favor. My older brother was killed in the Hunger Games three years ago. My twin sister died in them last year. It's my turn. I'm going to get picked," she says. I shake my head and pull her into a hug. I stroke her hair and sigh.

"No one is going to hurt you," I say soothingly. She pulls away from me and nods her head.

"I'm going to miss seeing your pink cheeks, light freckles, large ears, warm hands, and your brown eyes. I'm going to miss your red hair, which is always in a small fohawk. I don't know how you do it," she says. I laugh loudly and smile down at her. She stares up at me.

"I'm going to miss that most of all. Your laugh and smile. It always brightens my day," she says. I smile wider and kiss her forehead.

"You will see it tomorrow because we're both going to be safe and sound," I say. She nods her head. She stops smiling and turns around.

"I hope you're right," she says. With that, she is gone. She walks to the girls' section of the crowd. I stare at her, possibly for the last time.

"Ritneli!" I shout. She turns to look at me.

"Just smile and you will get through it," I say. She nods her head and forces a smile on her face. I smile and wave good-bye to her. I turn around and walk to the boys' section of the crowd.

Our district escort, Sven, walks over to the microphone. I clear my throat and listen patiently.

"Hi, everyone! Welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! This is going to be an interesting year, but I don't have to tell you that. Every year is interesting and exciting! I am proud to be your escort. We always get a good group of tributes to represent the district. Let's choose our girl tribute. Shall we?"

He walks over to the girls' name bowl with his head held high. He picks up a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. I cross my fingers, and hope for the very best.

"Please don't pick Ritneli," I whisper to myself.

"Thalia Millentum."

I look over at the girls' section of the crowd. I search for Ritneli. When I see her, I try to get her attention. I see the guards running over to a girl. I gasp when I see her. She must be about twelve years old. Why her? I see one of her friends hugging her tightly. They're both crying. I hear two boys near me yelling her name. They must be her brothers. The guards grab the girl and drag her out of the crowd. Why are they doing this to her? She doesn't deserve to die! She's so young!

I see her push them away. She fixes her dress.

"I can do this on my own!" she shouts.

She straightens her dress and stares at Sven. She smiles and walks confidently up the steps to the stage. She wants to be brave. I can see it on her face.

I look over at Ritneli. She turns and looks at me.

"At least it's not you," I mouth. She shakes her head. I see tears running down her face. I gasp and try to step up closer to the edge of the boys' section so I can be closer to her. Why is she crying?

"Why are you crying?" I mouth. She wipes away the tears and looks at me.

"She's so young," she mouths. I look at the girl on the stage. I sigh and nod my head.

"Let's choose our boy tribute now," Sven says. He walks over to the boys' name bowl. I gasp and stare straight ahead.

He grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. He looks at the slip of paper and smiles. He looks at us. I cross my fingers and turn to look at Ritneli.

"Alby Blossom."

All I do is blush. That's all I can do. I step out of the crowd and notice that everyone is staring at me. I blush more. This is it. I was picked. I'm not really surprised. I mean, my name was in there a lot, I guess. It was only a matter of time before I would get picked. But, of course, I am terrified. I don't want to do this. I don't want to die.

With a sad smile on my face, I walk to the stage. With shaking hands, I climb up the steps.

"ALBY!" I hear Ritneli shout. I close my eyes and walk over to Sven. I shake his hand and look at my district partner, Thalia. I smile at her. She looks up at me and frowns.

"ALBY!" Ritneli shouts again. I look out and see her being dragged away from the district square. What are they doing to her?

"Hey! Stop!" I shout.

"ALBY!" she shouts again. I look at Sven.

"What are they doing to her?" I shout. He smiles and shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know, but it's out of your hands now," he says. I look at Ritneli and I feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Oh, and may the odds be ever in your favor," he says. I look at him and frown. I look out at Ritneli one last time. Some bullies are dragging her away to who knows where. I shake my head and frown. He's wrong. The odds are definitely not in my favor. They never were, and it doesn't seem like they will any time soon.


	10. Chapter 10: District 10

**District Ten **

_**Damien Dragomir **_

_*BANG BANG BANG!* _

"_DRAGOMIR!"_

_*BANG BANG BANG!*_

"_DADDY! NO!" _

_*BANG BANG BANG!* _

"_DADDY! PLEASE, DON'T DIE! PLEASE!" _

I wake up from the nightmare with sweat dripping down my forehead. I have this dream at least once per month. I don't know why. It just happens to me.

The memory of my father's death haunts me. I was only eight years old. I'm eighteen now, and I should be over it by now. Well, I'm not over it. It still haunts me. It haunts me every time I hear a gunshot.

My father was shot by the Peacekeepers because he stole food from the market. I was there to see it happen. The shots were so loud! He screamed my name because he knew I was present. He didn't want me to watch him die.

That wasn't the worst thing that happened though. Shortly after that, my mother abandoned us. I have six brothers and sisters, and our mom decided to abandon us when we were young. My older brother, Sirius, took over as the father in our family. I helped out a lot too. I decided to hunt for animals and sell them at the market to get food for my family, but I have to be careful. I can't get caught by the Peacekeepers.

I am now eighteen years old, and my life is going pretty well. I've survived the reapings for the Hunger Games every year. I really hope that continues this year.

"Damien, it's time to go," my twin sister, Sakura, says as she walks into my bedroom. I sit up in my bed and smile.

"Okay. I have to get dressed," I say. She looks at me and frowns.

"Did you have that dream again?" she asks. I shake my head and frown.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about," I say. She smiles and looks at me.

"I know you're lying. You have to stop having those dreams, Damien. You're never going to get over the past if you keep living in it," she says. I shake my head and stand up from my bed.

"How am I supposed to forget about Dad?" I ask.

"I'm not telling you to forget about Dad. I am not going to forget him. I just want you to forget his death. I want you to forget how he died. I want you to move on and live for the future," she says. She hands me a red shirt, black jacket, black jeans and a mockingjay with a Sakura pin. She gave it to me when we both turned sixteen. It's my favorite thing in the world. I will die for my sister. She means everything to me. She's been there for me as my best friend my entire life.

"Get dressed and meet me downstairs," she says. She smiles and runs her hands through my black hair. It has red highlights, and I always wear it in a ponytail. She smiles and turns to the door.

"I love you, you know. That's why this day is so hard for me," she says. I smile and look at you.

"It's even harder for me," I say. She turns and smiles. She runs out of my bedroom and I smile. We have always said that every year for the reapings. It's the truth though. She loves me, but it will always be harder for me.

I quickly get dressed and run downstairs. Sakura is standing at the front door with our younger siblings. Our brother, Miroku, is fifteen. He loves our family, and he loves to fight. Honestly, I don't think he would win the Hunger Games though. He's too sweet. Our younger sister, Grace, is fourteen. She's just so precious, like her name. She brings pleasure to everyone. Our other young sister, Katie, is thirteen. She's also a twin to our brother, Danny. They fight all the time. They never get along, and it's kind of depressing. I'm sure they love each other. I'm sure this is their special bond, but it's weird. I would never fight with Sakura.

We walk to the district square. We see our district escort, Igor, standing at the stage. I look at my siblings and smile. I glance over at Sakura and smile.

"You're going to be fine," I say. She smiles and nods her head.

"The same with you," she says. I turn and stand in the boys' section of the crowd. Igor stands up and walks over to the microphone.

"Hello! I am very excited to see all of you today! The Hunger Games is an exciting time of the year, I must admit. It's exciting for me, and it's exciting for you. I am excited to see who our tributes are for this year. This is the 100th Hunger Games, so this is going to be a very exciting game! I can't wait for it to get started! Let's pick our girl tribute!"

He turns and walks over to the girls' name bowl. He smiles and slips his hand in it. He turns and walks over to the microphone. I look over at the bowl. Wait a minute….that's not the girls' name bowl. He went to the boys' bowl by mistake. Oh, gosh!

"Oh, I'm sorry. I accidentally went to the boys' name bowl. I'm sorry, folks! My mistake!" he shouts. I close my eyes and pray that I am not picked.

"Boris Regan."

I open my eyes and look for the unfortunate person who was picked. I see a young boy kicking and screaming as he is dragged onto the stage. He looks like he's only twelve years old.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO!" he shouts.

My heart is torn. This young boy should not be forced to go into the Hunger Games. He is going to die. He needs to be safe with his family. I have to do something about this. I just have to stop this from happening!

"Stop! I volunteer!" I shout. I step out of the crowd and look at Igor.

"Excuse me?" he asks. I stare straight ahead and nod my head.

"I volunteer for this young boy. I will take his place. I volunteer," I say.

"NO!" I hear Sakura shout from the girls' section of the crowd. I wince when I hear her shout.

"Are you sure?" Igor asks. I nod my head.

"I'm older than him. I have a better chance. Let him stay here with his family. Please, I am begging you. Let me take his place," I say. Igor smiles and looks at the crowd.

"Well, come on up here, young man!" he shouts into the microphone. I walk up the steps to the stage. I stand next to him and look at the crowd. My eyes find Sakura. My heart begins to shake when I see her crying.

"What is your name?" Igor asks me. I turn to look at you.

"Damien Dragomir," I say. He smiles and holds up my hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen of District Ten, I present to you your boy tribute for the 100th Hunger Games! Damien Dragomir!" he shouts. I look out at them and force a smile on my face.

I can do this. I can win this. No, I have to do this. I have to win this. I have to win this for my family.

_**Sakura Dragomir **_

"NO!" I shout when I hear Damien volunteer as the tribute. He can't do this! He can't do this to me!

When I hear Igor announce his name, I can't help but cry. Why is he doing this? Why is he doing this to us?

"Let's choose our girl tribute," Igor says. He walks over to the girls' name bowl and picks out a slip of paper. He walks over to the microphone and smiles.

"Georgia Williams."

I quickly step out of the crowd and raise my hand.

"Stop! I volunteer!" I shout. I hear people in the crowd gasp. They know who I am. They know I'm Damien's twin sister. To most people, this is a shock. It's not shocking to me. I have to do this. I have to be in the Games with my brother.

"Sakura!" Damien shouts. Igor looks at him.

"Do you two know each other?" he asks. I walk up onto the stage and stand next to Damien.

"Yes, we do," I say.

"What is your name?" he asks. I look at him confidently and smile.

"Sakura Dragomir. I'm Damien's twin sister, and I am ready to win this with him," I say. I turn and look at him. Damien shakes his head.

"No, Sakura. You can't do this," he says. I look at him and frown.

"Yes, I can. We can do this together," I say. I turn to the crowd and smile.

We can do this. I know we can. We're twins. Everything always works out for twins.


	11. Chapter 11: District 11

**District Eleven**

_**Thunnus Seidon **_

"You're caring, but firm and assertive. You're brave and ready to fight. You're quirky and thoughtful. I'm comforting. I can be aggressive. I'm witty. I'm pretty awesome," I mutter to myself as I walk to the district square. I keep going over my head what I am going to say in my interview if I get picked for the Hunger Games. I have to be prepared, right?

"Preparing for the Games?"

I glance up and see my best friend, David, standing next to me. I smile and shove him.

"I thought I told you never to sneak up on me like that," I say. He laughs and shakes his head.

"When do I ever listen to you?" he asks. I smile and roll my eyes.

"Never," I say.

We continue to walk to the district square. I hear David sigh.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. He shrugs his shoulders.

"I've got a family to support. My mom died last year, and my dad's been dead since I was nine. I can't really afford to go into the Games. I have three younger brothers. I can't just abandon them for this," he says. I don't know how he feels, to be honest. I'm an only child. My parents are happily married, and they will be fine without me. They've got each other. I mean, they'll miss me for sure. They might be devastated, but they've got each other. I don't have to support anyone else. It's just me in this world.

"I know. Your brothers need you. Let's make a pack. If you get reaped, I'll go into the Games for you. If I get reaped, don't do anything because I can win this. I'm really strong. I can beat everyone else. I can team up with the Careers and win," I say. He quickly shakes his head.

"No! You're seventeen! You can't seriously do this for me," he says. I shake my head.

"I am doing this for you. I'm your friend. We've been pals since we were three. I don't want you to leave your family. I can do this," I say. He looks at me and sighs.

"Well, let's just hope someone else gets reaped and we don't have to worry about that," he says. We arrive at the district square. I look at him and pat his back.

"I know what you mean," I say.

We stand in the district square and wait for the crucial event to begin. I see our district escort, Burgundy, standing on the stage. She walks over to the microphone with a smile on her face.

"Hello and welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! This is an exciting year for the Games, and I hope everyone is as excited as I am. Well, let's get this show on the road! Let's pick our girl tribute for District Eleven!" she shouts into the microphone. I look at David and roll my eyes. I can't stand peppy people.

She walks over to the girls' name bowl and slips her hand into it. She smiles as she fishes around for a name. She grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. She opens it and smiles.

"Tansy Marie Hepperly."

I look over at the girls' side of the crowd. I see a girl stepping out of the crowd. She looks like she's around my age. She has light, wavy brown hair that is put up in a ponytail. She looks strong. She walks up to the stage and looks at the audience. I smile when I see her. I glance over at David.

"She's pretty cute," I whisper. He smiles and nods his head.

"Yeah, you're right," he says.

Burgundy shakes Tansy's hand and looks at the audience.

"Well, now that we have our girl tribute, she needs a partner! Let's pick our boy tribute," she says. She walks over to the boys' name bowl. I reach out and grab David's hand. I know this is stupid and childish, but we're best friends. I don't want him to get picked, and he doesn't want me to be picked.

Burgundy reaches her hand into the bowl and fishes around for a slip of paper. She eventually grabs one and walks over to the microphone. I squeeze David's hand and sigh.

"David Spleen."

I gasp and look at David. He closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"Why me?" he mutters. He starts to step out of the crowd, but I quickly grab his hand.

"David, no! Remember our pact?" I ask. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"I was picked, Thunnus. I'm supposed to go into the Games, not you," he says. I shake my head.

"I don't care. I made a promise to volunteer, and that is what I'm going to do," I say. He shakes his head.

"Thunnus, don't do this. You'll regret it," he says. I stare at him and step out of the crowd.

"Thunnus, don't!" he shouts. I look at him, and then look at Burgundy.

"I volunteer!" I shout. I walk onto the stage and shake Burgundy's hand. She smiles and looks at the audience.

"What is your name?" she asks me.

"Thunnus Seidon," I say. I look over at Tansy, my partner for the Games. She looks at me and smiles.

We can do this. I can win this. I reach out for her hand. She looks at me and blushes. She grabs my hand. I hold up our hands and smile. We're ready for the Hunger Games. Get ready world. Here we come.

_**Tansy Marie Hepperly **_

I turn around quickly and run off the stage. I turn around and look at my partner, Thunnus.

"What are your strategies for the Games?" I ask him. He looks at me and smiles.

"I don't think we should discuss this yet until we're on the train," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"Of course. Are we going to see our family before we leave?" I ask him. He nods his head.

"Yeah, we should," he says. I stare at him. He is so cute. He has sandy blonde hair and sea green eyes that I can just melt in. He has a comforting smile. He's so muscular. He looks at me and smiles. I quickly look away and blush.

"I'll be right back," I say. I turn around and walk over to a nearby tree. I sit down and examine everything that has happened in my head.

I'm going into the Hunger Games. I'm leaving everything behind to go into a scary arena. I've always been there for my family. That has to help me in the Games, right? Independence? Leadership? Those are qualities that are helpful, I think.

I have to be strong. If I'm not strong, I won't win this. I mean, I can't trust anyone. I have a problem doing that anyone, but in the arena, I can't trust anyone. The only person I can trust is Thunnus. I mean, I hope I can trust him.

I learned to be strong because of my father. He was abusive. My mom never really believed me about the abuse. She never believed that my dad hit me. She never thought the man she loved would ever do that. One day, when I was four, a knife was just sitting on the kitchen counter. I accidentally knocked it off. I was four, so I was really clumsy. Well, the knife hit me in the head. I have a scar up to this day to remind me of that day when I was little. It's a pretty big scar and people make fun of me for it.

When I was six years old, my little sister, Marnie, was born. My dad favored her. He loved her. He hated him. He continued to beat me whenever he could. I hated him. He used to beat me whenever I stumbled or made a mistake. He said I wasn't meant to be born. I was a mistake.

One day, my mom walked in from the store. She found my dad beating me to death. He was punching me in the face and kicking my ribs. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. She kicked him out of the house at once. He left and I never saw him again. He later got sick and died. To be honest, I'm glad he's dead. He never has to hurt me again.

Marnie was upset with Dad died. She was only three, and she loved him so much. She didn't understand what he used to do to me. She didn't understand why he only abused me.

To be honest, the abuse made me stronger. It made a stronger person inside. I'm able to fight, and that will help me with the Hunger Games. Though, the abuse also made me have problems trusting people. How can I possibly trust people? I mean, I only have a small group of friends. One boy, Timothy, and one girl, Amethyst. Oh, and my sister, but she doesn't really count as a friend. My two best friends mean the world to me. They're the only people I ever really talk to about anything going on in my life. They're the only people I trust. I need them. I can't believe I have to say good-bye to them, possibly forever. I'm not ready to do that.

My mom eventually remarried. His name is Avon. He's really nice and sweet. Why couldn't my mom have found him first? Why couldn't he have been my real dad? He would never hurt me. He wouldn't think of it. My mom is actually eight months pregnant with a baby boy. They already named him Christof. I can't wait to see him, but I have a feeling I won't be alive when he is born. I am a strong person, but I have to be realistic.

I try my best to support my family. I even have to break the law sometimes, but it's my family. I will do anything for my family. I would risk anything for them.

I feel someone tap my shoulder. I look up and see Thunnus.

"Hi," I say. He leans down on his knees and looks at me.

"Are you okay?" he asks. I smile and nod my head. I have to be brave. I can't show my fears or insecurities.

"I'm fine. Why are you here?" I ask him. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"You just looked upset, that's all," he says. I look at him and smile. He's caring and sweet. I think I can trust him. I stand up and brush the dirt off my gray dress.

"I guess we better get started," I say. He stands up and looks at me. He nods his head and smiles.

"You know, you look nice in gray," he says. I smile and blush.

"Thanks," I say. I turn and quickly walk away from him.

There's something about him that intrigues me. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. I'm a girl after all. Can you really blame me? I trust him. I know I shouldn't do it, but I am starting to trust him. Oh Lord, help me.


	12. Chapter 12: District 12

**District Twelve **

_**Ryder Hustiths **_

My oldest brother was killed in the Hunger Games. He was only twelve years old. I was seven when it happened. To be honest, I was really close with him. We used to wrestle each other all the time. Whenever I think about the Games, I think about my brother. I pray to God I will never have to be placed in that awful arena.

If I am reaped, I have a strategy. I will join the Careers first. Using my manipulative skills, I will work them apart from each other. When they do split up, I will make sure all hell breaks loose from that point on. I want these games to be interesting. I can manipulate people to do anything I want. It's one of my finest talents.

"Ryder, what if you get reaped?" Lilia Zages, my wonderful lover, asks me as we lay in the meadows surrounding her house. I smile and sit up to look down at her.

"I'm seventeen years old. I haven't been picked yet. I can manipulate them with my mind to choose someone else when our escort reaches his or her hand into the glass bowl. I've done it every year, and it has always worked out perfectly. I'll just do it again this year, darling," I say. She laughs and shakes her head.

"I hate your sense of humor. It makes me want to puke up blood all over your pretty face," she says. I smile and stroke her cheek with my hand.

"How is my face pretty? It's extremely pale. I have ugly brown eyes," I say. She raises her finger and smiles.

"Don't even say that about your eyes. They are beautiful. They're rimmed with a deep color of gold. They even have flecks of darker brown in them, which is really unique to me. I mean, why do you insist on saying stuff about your appearance when we all know you use it to get women?" she asks. I smile and shrug my shoulders. She's right. I do use my appearance to gain respect. I am quite charming, if I do say so myself.

"I love you," I whisper. She smiles and kisses me on the lips.

"I love you too," she says. I sigh and lay back down on the grass.

"Even if I do get reaped to go into the Games this year, I won't ever stop thinking about you. You're my girl," I say. She smiles and looks down at me.

"Can you promise me something?" she asks. I nod my head and look into her eyes.

"Anything," I say.

"Will you promise to keep us a secret if you go into the Games? You won't tell anyone about me?" she asks. I sit up and look down at her. I wipe the grass off my black slacks and stare into her eyes. She wants to keep us a secret? Why?

"I don't understand. Why? I want to tell the whole world about us. You've already made us keep a secret from our parents about our relationship. It's been too much, Lilia. Why do I have to keep us a secret? Please, tell me why," I say. She sighs and looks down into her hands.

"You will get more sponsors if you do this," she whispers. I sigh and stand up from the grass. She looks up at me with worry.

"Why are you leaving?" she asks. I shake my head and laugh.

"You're worried about sponsors. So, you don't think I can gain sponsors myself just because of my personality? I happen to be a very likable guy! I am smart, kind, sweet, nice and very sociable. I also am witty and can tell a damn good lie if I have to, Lilia. I can lie in the Games to manipulate people. That's a twist that sponsors will like. I can gain sponsors on my own without keeping us a secret," I say. She stands up and shakes her head forcefully.

"Ryder, please listen to me. I know what happens in the Games," she says. I turn and glare at her.

"Oh, and you don't think I know what happens in the Games? My own brother died in them, Lilia! I know what I have to do to win!" I shout. She shakes her head and grabs my shoulders.

"I'm sorry I said anything! Don't you think I'm right though? Don't you think we should keep our relationship a secret if you are in the Games? Or, if I'm in the Games, if that even happens. Ryder, you will gain more sponsors if you appear to be single. It always happens," she says. I turn and look at her. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"Fine, Lilia. I'll do what you say because I love you too much to disappoint you," I say. I turn around and start to walk out of the meadow.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Lilia asks. I turn around and point to the direction of the district square.

"The reapings start soon. We have to go," I say. She quickly follows me out of the meadow. I look down at my clothing. I'm wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks. My hair is perfectly groomed. I look really nice. Impressive, I might like to add.

We arrive at the district square. I look around and see everybody standing in two different sections. One is for the boys, and one is for the girls. I look down at Lilia. She steps away from me slightly and smiles.

"The secret begins now," she whispers. She quickly walks away from me. I stare after her. I didn't even get a chance to tell her good-bye. I sigh and shake my head.

I'm the only one in my family left to get picked for the reapings. My younger brother also got reaped two years ago. I don't really like to talk about him. He died so quickly. It was quite shocking to watch on t.v. First, I lost my oldest brother ten years ago to the Games. He made it to the final six, but it ended quickly after that. No one from District 12 ever wins. It just doesn't happen. One of the rare cases was the 74th Hunger Games, but who likes to talk about history? I always slept during that class at school.

I see our district escort, Freya, standing on the stage. I look around the boys' section of the crowd. I see my best friend, Xano Zages. He is Lilia's younger brother. He's sixteen. He became my best friend about two years ago when I first started hanging out with Lilia. I also see Orion and Justice Mellark. Their family owns the bakery that my sister works at. They're pretty nice, but…yeah. That's all I can say about them.

"Welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games! I am so excited to represent District 12 because this is a special district. You are underdogs in the competition. I never really understood why, but you are. I hope everyone does their best. May the odds be ever in your favor! First, we have to choose our girl tribute," she says. She turns around and walks to the girls' name bowl. I cross my fingers and pray that it is someone else besides Lilia. I couldn't stand to see her go into the Games. I would kill myself. I literally would end my life.

"Sea Jackson."

I glance up and look over at the girls' section of the crowd. Who is that? I've never heard of Sea Jackson. She must be a loner or something.

I see a girl step out of the crowd. She looks like she is thirteen years old. She is trembling with fear. She quickly shakes her head and throws herself to the ground. She cries her heart out and screams loudly. Two guards run over and grab her.

"SEA! NO!" another girl's voice shouts. I look around and see a girl who looks exactly like Sea stepping out of the crowd. Sea is still crying and scream.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO MY TWIN SISTER! STOP! PLEASE!" the girl shouts. I close my eyes and cover my ears. I can't watch this. I can't hear this. I can't be a part of this. Why does this have to happen to a girl who is so young?

Sea is finally dragged onto the stage by the guards. Sea screams and finally allows them to place her on the stage. She sighs and looks out at the audience. She finally stops crying and stares straight ahead. She allows her tears to flow down her face. She stands there on the stage without making a single sound. She just stares straight ahead at the world she used to know.

_**Sea Jackson **_

I've never had to depend on anyone else to survive. I've always been in this world with just my twin sister, Sarah. We are best friends. We know each other inside and out. We have our mother, but she doesn't do anything for us. She doesn't care for us. She doesn't cook food or shop for us. We have to do all of that. We have to do everything.

Standing here now on the stage at the district square, I remember why I'm here today. Something about the past. It was in the past though. Why do _I _have to go into a scary arena full of people older than me and fight for my life? I'm a girl from The Seam, for Christ's sake! Do they really think I can afford to die? I have to be here for Sarah. She needs me.

The Hunger Games are sick. They need to be stopped. Who likes to sit and watch children fight for their lives? I don't like to kill people. I never really hunt. I go into the woods all the time with my friends, but we don't hunt at all. We just sit and listen to nature. We listen to everything. We listen to the birds chirp to each other. We listen to the stream swish water from side to side. It's peaceful. It's the only good thing in District 12.

"Let's choose our boy tribute," Freya says. She walks over to the boys' name bowl. I hope I have a partner I can at least rely on. I don't want a bum or someone who is crazy. I don't want someone who will kill me first thing in the arena. I need someone I can trust.

She grabs a slip of paper and walks over to the microphone. She glances down at the name on the paper and smiles.

"Ryder Hustiths."

I try to find Ryder, but I can't see anyone moving. I do hear some shouts from the audience section. I look up and see a woman crying loudly. That must be his mom. I also see a young woman, she looks like she's in her twenties, standing up from her seat. Her face is full of shock and dismay. She then throws herself to the ground and cries.

"WHY? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TEAR UP OUR FAMILY?" she shouts. She grabs her mother and hugs her. I look around for his father, but I don't see anyone.

"Ryder, please come forward," Freya says. I look out into the audience. I see a boy, a very handsome boy, stepping out of the boy's section of the crowd. He has thick, black hair. He is kind of tall. He looks very muscular. He looks like he can beat some people up, and I really like that. He's a great partner for me.

He walks toward us. He hops onto the stage and stares straight ahead. He turns and looks out into the audience. I see him stare at a specific person in the audience. I follow his eyes, but I can't see anyone. Who is he looking at?

He glances up at him and frowns. He looks down at the ground and shrugs his shoulders.

"Are you ready for this?" he asks underneath his breath. I stare at him and lightly touch his shoulder. His head snaps up and he stares into my eyes. I flinch and remove my arm from his shoulder.

"Sorry," I whisper. He looks at me and sighs.

"I need to know if you're going to be a good partner," he says. I look up at him and shrug my shoulders.

"I'll try my best. I'm not ready to die. I'm sure you aren't either. I'll try my best," I say. He sighs and nods his head. He turns around and walks off the stage.

"That's all we can do," he mutters. I watch him walk away. I shake my head and sigh.

We're the last tribute. That means the Games start soon. Let's the Games begin. Yeah, just…let them begin now!

A/N: The reapings are all done now! Now, I am going to skip around in the story to just let them begin! I am going to skip to when the Hunger Games actually begin, but I'm going to have it be the night before. I'll do the interviews and everything, and then start with the first day of the Games! I am so excited! I appreciate all of your reviews and support throughout this whole process. I know it took a long time to get through all of the reapings, but the real excitement is about to begin! Well, until next time, happy reading!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	13. Chapter 13: Author's Note PICTURES!

A/N: Hi, guys! I decided to pick pictures of how I imagine the characters in the story. I put them on my profile page. So, check those out if you want to see what the other characters looks like, and if you want to see what your character also looks like in the story. I really tried my best to pick the best picture to match the description you gave me. I hope you like them! Tell me if you like them, and which ones are your favorite. Well, happy reading!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	14. Chapter 14: Interviews

A/N: I've decided to split it up and only have one interview per district so the chapter isn't so long. I know it's a really long chapter, but there was so much to put in. Well, happy reading!

**Interviews **

**District 1**

_**Carson Lear **_

I'm dressed in my gray suit with several diamonds. I'm sitting in a chair on a stage. Lights are blazing down on me, and I start to sweat a little bit. I close my eyes and focus on the interview. I have to do this. I have to gain sponsors. I'm an awesome person. I'm sophisticated. That has to gain me sponsors, right?

I glance over at the Hunger Games host, Caesar Flickerman. He is wearing his classic midnight blue suit. He has never aged either. He looks the same as he always has. How does he do that?

"So, Carson, are you excited for the Hunger Games to begin tomorrow?" he asks. I gulp and look at him.

"Yes, I'm ready to win," I say. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"Well, I hope you do win, Carson. I hear that you are in the Games with your sister, Aurora. Is that correct?" he asks. I nod my head.

Aurora and I are in this together. We're the perfect team. I want her to win. I mean, I will never kill her. If it comes down to us two, I will kill myself. This is the reason why I volunteered for the Games. I want to assure her victory more than anything in the world.

"Yes, Aurora and I are in this together. We're the perfect team, Caesar. We both love each other like siblings should. We both want to win, but I can tell you right now, I want her to win," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Now, we want you to win too, Carson. If you work hard, you can win too," he says. I shake my head.

"I won't kill my sister. I can tell you that. We're in this together. We're a team," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Well, Carson, I wish you the best of luck," he says. He stands up and I stand up from my seat. I guess my time is over now. He shakes my hand and smiles.

"Let's bring out your sister now. Aurora Lear, ladies and gentleman! Thank you, Carson. You may leave," he says. I turn around and begin to walk off the stage. I glance over and see Aurora walking onto the stage. I smile when I see her. She looks so pretty. She's wearing a short dress covered with tiny diamonds. The diamonds sparkle in the spotlight. I turn around and walk off the stage.

**District 2 **

_**Jolie Talon **_

"So, Jolie, I hear that you're very determined to win the Hunger Games this year?" Caesar asks me. I smile like an evil serpent and nod my head.

"Well, people better watch out for me. I'm blood thirsty. I don't care how old the other people are. I'm going to kill them," I say. Caesar smiles and nods his head. I know I'm probably freaking everybody out, but I really don't care.

"I hope you do win, Jolie. I see that you got a very good training score. What was it again?" he asks. I smile and look out at the crowd.

"I got a ten on my score. Listen up, Caesar. I want everyone to know that I mean business. I'm ready to fight. I'm not going to let anyone get to me in the Games. Inferno and I make the perfect team because we're both blood thirsty tributes. We're both ready to kill people. We can do this," I say. Caesar smiles and nods his head.

"Well, Jolie, I wish you the very best in the arena tomorrow. You can do a good job if you work hard," he says. I roll my eyes and shift in my seat. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we get this over with?

"I've been ready for years," I say. He smiles and stands up. I stand up and shake his hand.

"Well, Jolie, good luck tomorrow. You can win if you work really hard," he says. I smile and nod my head. I walk off the stage with a huge smile on my face. He's damn right. I will win. I will work hard because I'm the best person here. I will win. You just wait. It will happen.

**District 3 **

_**Reagan Lockster **_

"Ladies and gentleman, let's welcome the girl tribute for District 3, Reagan Lockster!"

I hear my name announced and I quickly walk onto the stage. I feel the stage lights hit my face, and I gulp. I can't believe I'm doing this. What am I supposed to say?

Caesar smiles and shakes my hand. He motions for me to sit down in the cozy chair. I smile and sit down next to him. He smiles and points to my dress.

"Doesn't she look lovely?" he asks the audience. The crowd cheers loudly at my appearance. I blush and look down at myself. I guess I do look pretty. I'm wearing a Capital looking dress. It's purple, and my hair is pulled back into two pigtails. I'm also wearing cat ears. I blush and nod my head.

"Thank you," I say.

"Now, I want to ask you a few questions," he says. I smile and nod my head. My strategy for the interviews is just to look innocent and sweet. I can't act crazy, bubble, happy. I mean, that's my personality, but I can't show that. I want to gain sponsors.

"Yes," I say. He smiles and pats my hand.

"When I was watching the District 3 reapings, I noticed that you were a little out of it when your name was called. You didn't even move. You just had your eyes closed and you looked like you were in a completely different world. A girl had to push you forward, am I correct? Then, you skipped up onto that stage and you smiled throughout the whole thing," he says. I smile and nod my head. I try not to remember what happened that day.

"You're right, sir," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Why did you not hear your name?" he asks. I smile and shrug my shoulders.

"Well, I was in my happy place. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. My dad actually told me to sing when I was scared. He always wanted me to be cheerful and happy. I like to be happy too, so I decided to sing to myself. I sang the song that my mom used to sing to me before she died. So, that's what I did. I sang to myself. I went into my own little world and tried to be happy," I say.

Caesar smiles and nods his head. He looks out into the audience. I hear some people snickering and I look out at them. Do I sound crazy? I'm just saying the truth.

"That's great, Reagan. What was the song? Can you sing it for us?" he asks. I blush and shake my head.

"I don't think so. I'm not the best singer," I say shyly. He smiles and pats my hand.

"Oh, we don't care if you're a good singer or not. We just want to hear the song. We want to hear the song you sang to yourself when you were reaped," he says. I sigh and look at the crowd.

"_Sleep like an Angel, my little darling, Sleep like a robin in a sunny meadow. You will live to be a princess, You will always be Mommy's little princess. Sleep little darling, sleep like an Angel, I will keep you safe in my protective arms. I love you, my little Angel,_

_I will never let the Hunger Games destroy you. Sleep my princess, sleep the night away,_

_Close your eyes and have pleasant dreams. I will always love you, I will keep you safe and sound," _I sing.

Caesar smiles and nods his head. He claps and looks out at the audience.

"Wasn't that lovely?" he asks. The audience cheers and I smile. I think I'm gaining sponsors. Well, at least I hope I am.

"Well, Reagan, I wish you the best in the Hunger Games. You can win if you put your mind to it. I hope whenever you get scared, you just sing that song. It will make you happy," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"It will. Thank you," I say. He stands up and shakes my hand one more time. I stand up and smile. I skip off the stage with a huge smile on my face. I did a good job! People actually like me! Let the Games begin!

**District 4 **

_**Lance Alcott **_

"Lance, I asked you a question," Caesar says.

I'm sitting on a stupid chair on the stupid stage during my interview. I sigh and shake my head. I am not going to answer this guy. I don't know what to say. I'm too shy to say anything. I'll say the wrong thing anyway. I always do.

"Lance, can you please answer my question?" he asks. I glance up at him.

"What did you say?" I quietly ask. He smiles and leans over to me.

"You're going to have to speak up a little bit if the audience is going to hear you," he says. I shrug my shoulders. Maybe I don't want them to hear me!

"Lance, what are your strategies for the Hunger Games?" he asks. I look at him and shrug my shoulders.

"Don't know," I whisper. He sighs and looks out at the audience.

"He's a quiet one!" he shouts. I nod my head and sigh. I just want to get out of here.

"Lance, we heard that your sister was in the Hunger Games. Am I correct?" he asks. I nod my head.

"She died last year," I say loudly. He smiles and pats my shoulder.

"There's your voice. We knew you could talk!" he shouts. I roll my eyes and nod my head.

"Is this difficult for you?" he asks. I nod my head. I know I am going to die. Why even bother trying?

"Yes," I whisper. He smiles and pats my shoulder.

"Well, you're going to win, Lance. The quiet ones always win," he says. He stands up, and I take that as a sign that my turn is up. He's probably glad. He doesn't like me. I can just tell.

"Thanks," I say. He shakes my hand and smiles.

"May the odds be ever in your favor, Lance," he says. I turn and walk off the stage. Yeah, but they aren't in my favor. I'm going to die. I just know it.

**District 5 **

_**Apollo Cylpso **_

"Apollo, you're in the Hunger Games with your girlfriend, am I correct?" Caesar asks. I smile and nod my head.

"Yes, we make the perfect team. We both love each other, and we both want to win," I say.

The interviews aren't that bad. I think I'm gaining sponsors for both myself and Angel. We need them too. We both want to win, but I know that can't happen.

"Well, Apollo, I hate to break it to you, but you both can't win. It's impossible," he says. I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't really see why we can't both win. It's happened before, right? I've done my research over the Hunger Games. In the 74th Hunger Games, there were two victors. Why can't that happen again?" I ask. Caesar smiles and pats my shoulder.

"Apollo, there can only be one victor. So, one of you is going to die. You're just going to have to accept it," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"Yes, I understand. I just hope it is Angel then. I will die for her," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Oh, so another year of star crossed lovers! This is interesting. Well, Apollo, I hope one of you wins. I love the fact that you're going to protect your girlfriend. That is very sweet of you," he says. He stands up and I stand up too. He shakes my hand and smiles. I confidently walk off the stage. Tomorrow is the big day. The Hunger Games start tomorrow, and I just hope Angel survives longer than me. I love her so much. I will protect her, even if it is the last thing I do.

**District 6 **

_**Katia Sievert **_

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the girl tribute for District 6, Katia Sievert!"

I walk onto the stage and sit down immediately. I don't want to be here. I don't want to answer his questions. What if they turn my words into something else? I can't trust anybody.

"Katia, you look really pretty," Caesar says. I look down at myself. He's probably right. This is the first time I've been pretty in about a year. I'm wearing a bright green dress that just hugs my body. It's so tight, but I do look pretty.

"Thanks," I say.

"Let's talk about you. What's your past?" he asks. I sigh and shake my head.

"I don't want to talk about the past," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"You're pretty defensive. I can sense that. I hear that everyone kind of hates you, am I correct?" he asks. I sigh and roll my eyes. Didn't I just say that I didn't want to talk about the past?

"Caesar, I just said I don't want to talk about the past. I thought this interview was about the Hunger Games," I say. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"She's a feisty one, isn't she? Well, Katia, what are your plans for the Games?" he asks.

"Well, I just want to hide from everyone else. I don't want to be in the Hunger Games. I'll pick off the weaker tributes, I guess. I just hope the stronger tributes kill each other before they kill me," I say. Caesar laughs and the audience laughs with them. I look out at them. That wasn't supposed to be funny.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck in the Games, Katia," he says. I nod my head.

"Are you sure we can't talk about the past?" he asks. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"I really don't like talking about myself, Caesar. Besides, the past is gone. It's already happened," I say. He smiles and nods his heads.

"That's a great way to look at it. Well, your time is up, Katia. I hope you do well, and you will win the Games. You just go in there with the kind of determination I see right now. You will do well," he says. I smile slightly and nod my head. I stand up and shake his hand.

I walk off the stage and smile. Maybe he is right. Maybe I will win the Hunger Games.

**District 7**

_**Tasi Merkava **_

"So, Tasi, what are your strategies tomorrow in the arena? What are you going to do to win?" Caesar asks me. I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I don't like being questioned. I always feel like I'm going to say something stupid. I clear my throat and try to smile.

"Well, I want to find a good food source first. I mean, as you can see with my weight, I like food," I say with a laugh. The audience laughs along with me. I smile and look at Caesar. I didn't say anything stupid at all. I made them laugh. That's good, right?

"What else are you going to do?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders. I haven't really given it that much thought. I've had worst things to think about in my life, like my father's abandonment. That kind of stuff, you know.

"I guess I want to set up a ton of dead falls so I don't have to watch people die. I don't want to see that," I say. Caesar smiles and pats my hand.

"You're a good guy, aren't you? I can tell. You work hard. You can make people feel better. You're a good friend. Those are good qualities to have," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"Thanks. I think so too," I say. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"So, how are you getting along with your partner, Malaya?" he asks.

I smile when I think of Malaya. She's perfect. I've grown really close with her. She's nice and sweet. She's the first person I feel comfortable talking to about anything. She's so fragile though. She's fourteen years old, but I feel a little crush coming on. I know she's two years younger than me, but I feel like something is developing in my heart for her.

I look up at Caesar and blush. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"She's fine," I say. The audience laughs and I shrug my shoulders. What else am I supposed to say?

"Anything else?" Caesar asks. I look at him and shake my head. I shouldn't say anything else. She's probably watching this.

"I think that's all I'll say right now. We get along great," I say. Caesar smiles and nods his head.

"Are you going to win the Hunger Games, Tasi?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders and sigh.

"I would like to win them, but we'll see what happens in the arena," I say. He smiles and stands up. I stand up and shake his hand.

"Well, you go out there, Tasi. You go out there and win," he says. I smile and walk off the stage. Now, that wasn't as bad as I thought.

I walk backstage and see Malaya. I smile when I see her. I walk over and tap her shoulder. She looks up at me and smiles.

"Hi," she whispers. I smile down at her. She's so precious.

"You're next," I say. She nods her head.

"Do I look okay?" she asks. I look down at what she's wearing. She's wearing a lavender dress made of chiffon with a black dress underneath it with darker purple chiffon straps. I smile and nod my head.

"You look beautiful," I say. She smiles and I see her blush.

"Thank you," she whispers.

I turn around and walk away from her. I do like her. Please, don't make her die tomorrow. At least if she does die, please don't let me have to see it happen.

**District 8 **

_**Maddie Wilde **_

"Doesn't she look lovely?" Caesar asks the audience. I smile and look down at myself. I'm wearing a blood red dress that just clings to my skinny body. I do look pretty. I kind of wish Adam was watching the interviews back home. Does he like the way I look? I really hope so.

"Thanks. I like my dress too," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Now, can you tell us what your strategies are for tomorrow in the arena?" he asks. I sigh and act like I'm thinking things over in my head. I've actually had everything planned out for a while. I want everything to go smoothly.

"Well, I want to stay in the shadows as much as I can. I would like to make a few trustworthy allies. I can't compete in it all by myself or I will definitely lose. I just really want to make it to the final two people," I say. He smiles and nods his head.

"Well, I hope you get that far, sweetheart. Now, I heard some things about your mother. You're working hard to win the Hunger Games because of her? Is that right?" he asks. I nod my head.

"Yeah, she died of starvation. I really want to win for her. I want to make her proud of me," I say. The audience cheers for me. I smile at them and wave. Caesar smiles and stands up. I stand up and shake his hand.

"Well, Maddie, I wish you the best of luck. I hope you do win the Hunger Games. I want you to please your mother too. No matter what happens, however, she will be proud of you," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"Thank you, Caesar. Thank you so much!" I shout. I walk off the stage with a smile. I am kind of excited for the Games to start tomorrow. I hope I can last long. I want to win for my mom. I really hope I can do that.

**District 9 **

_**Alby Blossom **_

"Alby, what are your strategies for the Hunger Games tomorrow?" Caesar asks me in the interview. I sigh and shrug my shoulders. I don't really want to talk to him. I don't know him.

"Well, sir, I just want to run as fast as I can. I want to stay out of the way and under the radar. I don't really want people to find me. I want to get some help if I can do that. I want to be quick. I never want to stay in one place too long," I explain. He nods his head and smiles.

"What's the most important thing for you?" he asks. I sigh and think about that.

"I want to avoid killing people unless it is necessary. If you really know me, you know I'm nice. I don't want to kill people," I say. He looks out at the audience.

"You do seem nice, Alby. We want you to win though. Isn't that what you want?" he asks. I smile and nod my head. Of course I want to win! I mean, who doesn't want to win the Hunger Games? Who wants to die?

"Well, it'd be nice to win," I say shyly. Caesar smiles and nods his head.

"Well, we want you to win, Alby. You can win. So, is there a young lady back at home rooting for you? Do you want to run home and be with her? Is she the reason why you want to win?" he asks. I sigh and think about that question.

My mind instantly thinks about Ritneli. I've tried not to think about her, but it's been impossible. I really hope she's okay. She has to be okay!

"Well, there is this one girl. We've always been friends," I say. He nods his head and looks at the audience.

"Do you have feelings for her?" he asks. I sigh and shrug my shoulders. I've really thought about it. Do I like Ritneli? I mean, she's my best friend. I do everything with her. I've never really wanted to date anyone because I just thought I had the best friend in the world.

"I don't know," I mutter. He stares at me with a confused expression on his face.

"Well, let me tell you what you do, Alby. You win this whole thing and you go home. You figure out how you feel, and you win that girl," he says. I smile slightly and nod my head.

"Thanks," I say. He stands up and grabs my hand. I smile and stand up. I look out at the audience. I really hope I won some sponsors. That is the goal of the interviews, right? Well, I hope I did that.

I walk off the stage and accidentally trip on the stairs. The crowd laughs at me. I turn around and look at Caesar.

"Are you okay, kid? We don't want you getting hurt the night before the Hunger Games start!" he shouts. I smile and shake my head. Come on, Alby. You have to make them laugh. Say something clever!

"Ta-da! I totally meant to do that!" I shout. The audience laughs even louder. I smile at them. I did make them laugh! Caesar smiles and walks over to me. He helps me stand up and pats my shoulder.

"May the odds be ever in your favor, young man," he says. I smile and wave good-bye to the crowd. I run down the steps and walk backstage. I did it! I made them laugh. They like me, right? They have to like me! They just have to like me now, right?

**District 10 **

_**Sakura Dragomir **_

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the girl tribute for District 10! Sakura Dragomir!"

I hear my name announced and I close my eyes. I confidently walk onto the stage with a smile on my face. I walk over to Caesar and shake his hand. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"Would you just look at her dress?" he asks. I smile and point to my dress. It's a red knee length dress with flames around the bottom. My hair is in a bun and I have red heels. I think I look nice. I'm really trying to impress people with my looks.

"Sit down, Sakura," he says. I sit down in the chair next to him. I sigh and cross my legs. I try to look friendly and polite, but I also want to look mysterious.

"So, Sakura, how have you been?" he asks.

"Well, I'm in the Hunger Games, so how well can I be?" I ask. The audience laughs and I smile at them.

"That is true, but will you answer the question? How have you really been?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders and smile. I'm going to become mysterious for him.

"I'll never tell," I say. He laughs and claps his hands.

"We have a mysterious girl amongst us," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"You've got that right, Caesar," I say. He smiles and shakes his head.

"Well, will you tell us your strategies tomorrow?" he asks. I smile and nod my head. I guess I should tell him that.

"I just want to plan everything out. I think to think everything through before I do anything. Most importantly, I need to fight, kill and just survive. Survival is very important right now," I say with a smile. The audience laughs and I feel really good about myself. People seem to like me.

"Well, we hope you fight, kill and survive too, Sakura," he says.

"Thanks, Caesar. I appreciate your support," I say. He smiles and pats my shoulder.

"I think your time is up, but it's been great talking to you," he says. I stand up and shake his hand.

'Thanks. You weren't that bad," I say. He smiles and looks at the audience.

"We all hope you do your best. You can win, Sakura," he says. I smile and quickly walk off the stage. I know I can win. I have to do this.

**District 11 **

_**Thunnus Seidon **_

"What are your strategies for the Hunger Games?" Caesar asks. I shrug my shoulders. I look at him skeptically. I don't know if I should really trust him. He is part of the Games. He might talk to other people and ruin my chances of winning.

"Well, I want to gang up with the Careers. I really do have it all planned out. When the number of tributes pool down to only six people, I am going to stab another Career or two in their sleep. I will then take off and win the whole thing," I say. Caesar smiles at me and shakes his head.

"That is some strategy," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"I thought it through a lot," I say. He smiles and looks out at the audience.

"So, do you miss your home?" he asks. Do I miss my home? Of course I do! I miss fishing. I miss seeing my friends and family. I miss everything.

"Yeah, I love to fish. You might not know that. I love to fish and I miss doing that everyday. I also miss my family and friends, but everyone feels that way," I say. He nods his head.

"Well, we hope you can go back home and fish. You will win, Thunnus," he says. I smile and nod my head.

"Thank you, sir," I say. He pats my shoulder and looks out at the audience.

"So, how are things going between you and Tansy Marie? She's quite a pretty lady, isn't she?" he asks. I smile and nod my head. Of course she's pretty. She's beautiful. I've really grown to her, if that makes sense.

"Well, we both get along great. She's beautiful. She's smart and unique. She's independent and a great leader. It took me forever to actually talk to her. I mean, she never really opened up to me, but I'm trying. I gain her trust a little more each day, and I like her more and more all the time," I say. He smiles and pats my shoulder.

"Well, I hope you two continue to get to know each other," he says. He stands up and shakes my hand. I quickly wall off the stage. I see Tansy Marie standing backstage. I walk over to her.

"Did you watch it?" I ask. She turns and nods her head.

"Yeah, you did a pretty good job," she says. I smile and look down at her. I blush when I see her. She's so pretty.

"You look so pretty," I say. She smiles and blushes.

"Thanks. Well, I better go," she says. She turns around and looks at the stage.

"Good luck," I say. She turns and smiles. I feel my heart flutter a little bit.

"Is it scary out there?" she asks. I shake my head.

"No, you'll do fine. I swear on it," I say. She smiles and gives me a quick hug.

"Thanks, Thunnus. I don't know why I'm starting to trust you. It's probably a mistake, but I am. I trust you, Thunnus. I know you won't hurt me," she says. I stare down at her. Why would I ever hurt her?

"What are you talking about? I would never hurt you," I say. She smiles and shrugs her shoulders.

"I'll tell you about it sometime," she says. I smile and lightly stroke her cheek. She blushes and turns around when she hears her name announced. She quickly walks away, and I stand there in awe. She's beautiful. She's amazing. No one better hurt her tomorrow. I don't think I could stand to see her die.

**District 12 **

_**Sea Jackson **_

"Hello, sweetheart. You can come right up on this stage," Caesar says. I calmly walk onto the stage and look out at the audience. There are so many people! I rush over to the chair and sit down. The crowd laughs a little bit. Why are they laughing at me? I didn't do anything funny.

"You look very nice, Sea," he says. I smile and blush. I'm wearing a simple pink silk dress with some sequence splattered in random places. I also have pink high-heels. My hair is done in a neat bun with a few strands of hair framing my face. I guess I look pretty.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

"You seem like a nice, shy girl," he says. I nod my head and stare at the audience. Why are there so many of them?

"I am shy around people I don't really know," I say. He nods his head and smiles.

"Your reaping was quite difficult to watch. You were screaming at the top of your lungs. Why were you so scared?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders. I don't really know what to say.

"I am scared of the Hunger Games. I'm a young kid. I'm too young to die," I say.

"Well, who says you're going to die?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders. I know it is going to happen. Why should I think otherwise?

"I'm young," I say quietly. He shakes his head and pats my shoulder.

"Just because you're young doesn't mean you're not strong. It also doesn't mean you won't win," he says. I look up at him. Does he really mean that? Or, is he just saying that to please people?

"Thanks," I say quietly.

"What are your strategies for tomorrow?" he asks. I shrug my shoulder. I just don't want to die. That's pretty much it.

"Once I am in the arena, I want to run into the Cornucopia and at least grab a backpack. Then, I'll get out as fast as possible. Once I'm out of there, I plan to make a mad dash to the most covered place in the arena and just hide there. I only want to kill people when it is absolutely necessary," I say. He nods his head and smiles.

"Well, we hope you win, Sea. You're a good girl. You have a bright future. If you work hard, you can win," he says. I smile and nod my head. He stands up and shakes my hand. I stand up and look out at the audience. I guess my interview is over. Thank goodness! I've been waiting for this since the moment I walked on that stage.

I quickly run off the stage and run backstage. Tomorrow is the big day. The Games begin tomorrow. I can't believe it. Tomorrow could be the last day of my life. It's been a good time. My life, you know.

Now that the time is come, I'm ready for it. I want to win so badly. Wouldn't it be great if a thirteen year old won the Hunger Games? I want that to happen so badly! So, let the games officially begin!

A/N: The Games will officially begin in the next chapter. I can't wait to get started! May the odds be ever in your favor!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	15. Chapter 15: Day 1

**Day 1 **

_**District 12 – Sea Jackson **_

Today is the big day. Well, honestly, today is the day I have been dreading my whole life. The Hunger Games begin in just a few hours. I cannot believe this is happening. As I get dressed, I feel like my life is ending. I feel like there is a time bomb just ticking in my head, waiting for my life to end.

"Sea, you aren't going to die," Ryder says. I glance up at him. Really? How does he know for sure?

"I wish you were actually right for once," I say. I stand up and walk over to him. Ryder and I have actually become good friends. I am usually cold to people I don't know. I don't trust people, but he is my partner. We are in this together. I was kind of mad at him at the very beginning, but he finally gained my trust.

"I am right," he says.

I smile at him. We are quickly led away from each other. That was it. That was the last time I saw him until the arena. I quickly pray for both of our safeties. Just let us survive the first day. I don't care about tomorrow. Just…let me survive today. I want to make my sister proud. That's all I ask for.

"Step over to the disk over there, sweetheart."

I nod my head and step over to the metal disk placed on the floor. I close my eyes and try to relax.

"You can do this. Be brave," I say to myself. Yeah, if only I can listen to my own advice.

_**District 4 – Lance Alcott **_

"Walk over to the disk on the ground."

I stare at the woman giving these directions. I quickly nod my head and walk over to the metal disk on the ground. I cannot believe this is happening. Why? My life might be ending in two minutes or so. Good-bye life.

_**District 8 – Maddie Wilde **_

I walk over to the metal disk on the ground. I stare at the people walking aimlessly around me. I squeeze my eyes shut and cross my fingers. Please, let me survive the first day. That is all I ask. I have to survive. But, I want Simon to survive too. I want him to be safe and sound. Oh, why am I even thinking about this? We are both safe! Calm down!

"This is for you, Mom. Wish me the best of luck."

_**District 1 – Carson Lear **_

I stand up from my bed and quickly get dressed for the day. I cannot believe this is happening. Well, that is probably what everyone is thinking today. I smile when I look at myself in the mirror. At least I look kind of nice.

I turn around and open my door. I see Aurora pacing around the hallway. I smile and walk over to her.

"Are you nervous?" I ask. She jumps and looks at me. She smacks my arm and laughs.

"You always like to scare me. Do I look nervous? That isn't a good thing! People will see that. They will see I am nervous and decide to kill me first. I know it will happen! I just know it! Oh, gosh! I can't do this! I want to win so badly, Carson, but I was suddenly hit with a wave of panic. I don't want you to die. You're my brother. But, I want to win too. I want to live," she says.

I smile and place my hands on her shoulders. I look down into her eyes.

"Aurora, look at me," I say.

She sighs and looks up into my eyes. I smile and try to remember all of the conversations we have had like this. It would take me all day. We don't have that kind of time.

"You're going to be fine. You're going to win," I say. She smiles up at me and nods her head.

"I know, but I wish you could share the victory with me," she says.

We are quickly led to the elevator. I don't even get a chance to respond to her.

"Aurora! I love you!" I say. She turns and looks at me.

"I love you too," she says.

We are quickly led away from each other. I turn and look at my sister, possibly for the last time. God, please protect her. If you have to, kill me. Don't kill her. That's all I ask.

_**District 10 – Damien Dragomir **_

The time has come. I am standing on a metal disk in a dark, scary room. I try to look brave and strong. I know the cameras are already rolling. I know the Games are starting soon. I close my eyes and pray for Sakura. I want her to be safe.

The tubes start to encircle me. I feel around and look above me. What is happening? What are these tubes?

I feel myself going upward. I close my eyes and my breathing quickens drastically. I open my eyes and almost fall off my metal disk. I look everywhere.

"Well, they don't call it the 100th Hunger Games for nothing," I mutter.

Lava is surrounding me. Hot, steaming lava that will burn my feet the first second I step off of my Pedi stool. I look around and see a small stream standing behind me. That is my escape. I see that it leads down to rapids. Okay, maybe not. I see mountains surround us with other volcanoes. Where the heck are we?

"Welcome to the 100th Annual Hunger Games!" Claudius Templesmith says in a loud, booming voice.

"This won't be easy, but I know you will be prepared. May the odds be ever in your favor. Let the countdown begin. One minute on the clock," he says.

I look around. I see District 5's Angel Ward standing nearby. She looks so scared. I see District 2's Jolie Talon. She looks fierce and angry. I am going to stay away from her. The last person I can see from my sight is District 9's Alby Blossom. I can't say much about him because I can't see his facial expressions. He seems alright though.

"10, 9, 8…"

I gasp loudly. Did a minute seriously go by that quickly? 10 seconds left? I look and see the Cornucopia far away from me. I gasp when I see my favorite weapon, a scythe. I smile when I see it. I have to get that weapon.

"7, 6, 5…"

I get ready to run. I get ready to run as quickly as I can. I gasp though when I see all of the lava. How am I going to get there with all of this lava? I look around and see that Jolie isn't standing near lava. They only placed lava around certain tributes. Why? Why us? Why me! How am I supposed to get my weapons!

"4, 3…"

Think! Think quickly!

"2…1…"

A large boom erupts everywhere. The Hunger Games have officially begun. I jump over to the stream behind me. Run, run, run! I leap over to another area of grass that doesn't have any lava. I just need to follow the path to the Cornucopia.

"AHHH!"

I look around for the person who screamed. Who was it? Was it Sakura? I look up and see Simon Vitalee lying on the ground, completely dead. Poor guy. He didn't survive very long.

"DIE!"

Who is yelling? What is going on? I look around and see Jolie Talon standing over Lance Alcott. She just killed him. I sigh and turn around. I need to get away from this. I run around and try to get to the Cornucopia, but I am met with lava. I look around for an escape. I suddenly see Inferno Blackheart running toward me. I yelp and jump away. I need my weapon! I don't have anything to protect me!

"Don't kill me!" I shout.

He holds up his sword and aims it at my head. I yelp and scream. I try to jump away. I grab his arms and pin them around his body. He screams foul language and tries to get out of my grasp. I laugh loudly.

"You can't get away from me now!" I shout.

That's when it happened. A loud bang in my head. I feel dizzy and I fall to the ground. What the heck happened? I reach up and touch my head. I look at my hands and see blood.

I look up just in time to see Jolie Talon standing near Inferno. She grabs his hand and drags him away from me. I start to feel really dizzy now. My eyes start to close, and I know this is the end. I tried. That's all I could do. I didn't survive very long, did I?

Well, I hope Sakura does better than me. That's all I want. At least I can protect her now.

**Tributes: **

**Here is a new list of the tributes after Day One of the Hunger Games. The names that are in bold are dead. I am sorry, but it has to happen. **

District 1: Carson Lear

Aurora Lear

District 2: Inferno Blackheart

Jolie Talon

District 3: **Darius Dragomir**

Reagan Lockster

District 4: **Lance Alcott**

Indigo Nightshade

District 5: Apollo Cylpso

Angel Ward

District 6: James Marin

Katia Sievert

District 7: Tasi Merkava

Malaya Ruanda

District 8: **Simon Vitalee **

Maddie Wilde

District 9: Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

District 10: **Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

District 11: Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

District 12: Ryder Hustiths

Sea Jackson

I hope you liked it. I am sorry again if your tribute died, but it is the Hunger Games. It has to happen. Day One wasn't as brutal as everyone thought it was going to be, but just wait. It won't stay that way for long.

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	16. Chapter 16: Day 2

**Day 2 **

_**District 10 - Sakura Dragomir **_

My brother is dead. My wonderful, crazy brother is dead. He died on the first day. How does that happen? Who killed him? What evil person killed my brother? I don't want to live anymore. Why did I survive the first day? Why did I make it out okay? I mean, it was hard at first. I was surrounded by lava. I had no way out, so I had to leap through the burning lava. It burned my legs so much, but I made it out okay. I made it to dry land. I made it to one of the mountains, and I decided to climb it. I had no other choice. I heard yelling from far away. Now that I think about it, was it Damien? Were those his screams?

I am sitting on a mountain now. I am covering myself up with leaves and rocks to camouflage myself. I don't want people to find me. I have to do something about my legs though. They still hurt so much. What am I going to do? I can't walk around like this and survive the Games. Someone will find me. That person will murder me the first instant they see my condition.

"Damien, why did you have to die? Why couldn't you have protected yourself?" I ask. I look up at the sky toward Heaven. I know he is up there.

"I can't believe you're gone. I miss you so much. You are my brother. We were supposed to be in this together," I say.

Far away, I hear someone screaming in pain. My heart beats loudly when I hear the cries. Who was it? Then, I heard the loud boom signaling the death of the victim. Who is doing all of the killing? I bet it is Jolie Talon and Inferno Blackheart. They make the perfect team. They both love to kill people. I have to stay away from them. They will kill me. I am positive about that.

Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around and see District 12's Sea Jackson. She smiles and sits down next to me. What does she want?

"Hello," I say.

"I heard about your brother. I just wanted to say sorry," she says.

I look down at her and smile. She is so young and precious.

"Do you want to be allies?" I ask.

She stares up at me and shakes her head. She stands up and walks away. I watch her walk away. I pray for her safety. She should never die. She is so young. She deserves to live.

"I miss you, Damien," I whisper before closing my eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

_**District 7 - Malaya Ruanda **_

I am standing behind a tree, watching the area around me. I am looking for people who might hurt and kill me. I am always looking around for danger. This is the Hunger Games. What else am I supposed to do?

Suddenly, someone taps my shoulder. I scream and turn around. The person puts his hand over my mouth and smiles. I look up into his eyes. I sigh loudly. Tasi…

"Tasi, you scared me to death," I say.

"I am sorry. I didn't want to make any sound in case someone could hear me," he says.

"Yeah, and my scream wouldn't let them know where we are? Yeah, that was smart," I say. I push his hand away from me and I look around the tree. I listen closely for any sound. I gulp and look at Tasi.

"You look nice in your outfit," he says.

I look up at him and find myself blushing. I quickly look away and force myself to think about something else. Why am I blushing? I should be listening for warrior cries.

"Thanks," I say quietly.

"Tasi, I want to tell you something," he says.

I look up at him and see that he is blushing. What is his problem? I turn around and look behind my back.

"Yeah, what is it?" I ask.

"Well, Malaya, we're getting along really well," he says.

"I agree with that," I say.

"Well, I know you are fourteen and all. I am only sixteen, so that is only two years older than you," he says.

I stop focusing on the Hunger Games. I look at him closely and listen to what he is saying. What does he mean? Is he about to tell me he has a crush on me or something? I get so caught up in his words that I fail to hear the rustle of leaves behind me.

"Tasi, what are you saying?" I ask.

"Malaya, I can saying…"

Before he can finish that sentence, I feel a stabbing pain in my back. I shriek in pain and fall to the ground. I scream loudly and look up at Tasi. He is screaming and yelling at Inferno Blackheart. I gasp and reach around to touch my back. My hand is covered in blood. I gulp and look up at Tasi.

"Tasi…" I whisper.

He grabs his axe and hurls it at Inferno. Inferno catches the axe and swings it at Tasi. Tasi punches Inferno in the face. Inferno yells loudly and falls to the ground. He stands up and looks at us.

"I'll come back for you, 7!" he shouts at Tasi.

He runs away from us. I look up at Tasi. He sees me in pain and runs to my side. He grabs me and holds me closely to him.

"Tasi, what did you want to tell me?" I ask, my breath growing weak.

He looks down into my eyes and I see tears forming in his eyes. I smile and reach up to touch his face. He cries more and his arms are shaking.

"Please, don't leave me. Malaya, I think…" he says.

I nod my head and wipe his tears away. What? My eyes are burning to close. My heart feels like it is about to give out.

"What?" I ask.

"Malaya, I love you," he says. He leans down and kisses me quickly on the lips. He pulls away and buries his head in my lap. I smile and look up at the sky. I reach down and run my hands through his curly brown hair.

"I love you too," I whisper. That is the last thing I remember before my eyes close. I feel my heart giving out. I told him the truth. I loved Tasi, and I will watch over him until the last day of his life.

_**District 2 – Jolie Talon **_

Creeping along the woods, I search for people to kill. I love the Hunger Games. I am doing so well. Today, I killed James Marin. He was running along in the woods, and I just grabbed his head and chopped it right off his silly body.

I look around for someone else to murder. I have to kill someone else before the day ends. I mean, I won't sleep if I don't do this. I look up and see Inferno walking up ahead.

"Inferno, who did you kill? I heard a boom a little while ago? Was it your kill?" I ask. He turns and looks at me. He nods his head and waits for me to reach him.

"It was my kill. I killed District 7's Malaya Ruanda. I was going to kill her partner, but he was putting up a good fight," he said. I roll my eyes.

"Way to go, Inferno. You just let him go. I can't believe this," I say. He looks at me and glares.

"I'll get him next time!" he shouts. I hold up my hands.

"No, just let me kill him. I'll do it. I won't stop until he is dead," I say. He looks at me and smiles.

"I have to get back to the killing. I'll see you later," he says. I frown and turn away. I don't even bother to say good-bye. I hear rustling nearby. You know what this means? A new victim!

I run away from Inferno. I run toward the sound. I look up and down the trees, searching for anyone who might be hiding in them. I hear the rustling. It is very close. I stop and turn around. I see someone hiding behind a tree. She is very small. I smile and walk over to her. I grab my sword and smile evilly. This is perfect. I smile and raise the sword. I am ready for the kill. I see her head peaking out from around the tree. I smile and swing the sword straight through her head. Her head cracks open and blood bursts everywhere. She screams and drops to the ground.

I walk around and get a good glimpse of her face. She is very young. I smile and stab her heart to make sure she is dead. The boom is heard and I laugh hysterically. Another one is dead, and I am the murderer. Isn't life great? I smile and look down at her.

"Good-bye, 12."

**List of Tributes. Again, the names in bold are dead. Sorry, but is has to happen. **

District 1: Carson Lear

Aurora Lear

District 2: Inferno Blackheart

Jolie Talon

District 3: **Darius Dragomir **

Reagan Lockster

District 4: **Lance Alcott **

Indigo Nightshade

District 5: Apollo Cylpso

Angel Ward

District 6: **James Marin **

Katia Sievert

District 7: Tasi Merkava

**Malaya Ruanda **

District 8: **Simon Vitalee **

Maddie Wilde

District 9:Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

District 10: **Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

District 11: Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

District 12: Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. They just get more and more intense, and don't expect it to calm down anytime soon. Please review, and I will try to update soon. **

**As always, **

**Fiddlegirl **


	17. Chapter 17: Day 3

Thank you to darkworlf127 for the idea for this chapter. Also, thanks for just being a great friend.

_**District 1 – Carson Lear **_

Two days have passed since the Hunger Games began. It is now day three, and things are getting intense. Not enough people are dying as I expected. What is going to happen next? I look over and see Aurora sitting near a rock in the forest. I walk over to her and sit down on the rock.

"Are you okay?" I ask. She nods her head and looks at me.

"Not enough people are dying," she says as she pulls her spear out of a dead tribute sitting at her feet. I look down at the victim, the district 4 male. I sigh and look away. I never really thought my sister would be a killer, but she did kill someone.

"Oh yeah," I say.

I heard the district two male say, "There are a few tributes that we still need to take care of." I look in the direction of the district two male and saw him smiling his wicked smile. I look around and only see the careers and their allies, which were myself, Aurora, the district two tributes, the district four tributes and the district five tributes. What did the boy from two see? I cannot even begin to imagine what cruel things he is thinking in his wicked mine.

"Where?" I hear the district five boy, Apollo, ask as he looks around the forest. He is standing in front of his girlfriend, Angel. He is very protective of her, which I kind of admire.

"I can't see anyone but us," I say.

Then, I see Inferno, the district two boy, walk up to the back of Apollo and lift up his sword. Oh, crap! I know what is about to happen, but I just sit there on my rock. Inferno is about to kill Apollo. Should I do something? No, I can't. Just let him do it.

I watch as the sword sliced through Apollo's right arm. I wince and close my eyes as I hear the screams. I open my eyes and see the blood flowing from the severed limb. The shouts of pain fill the air. Aurora looks up at me and I put my arm around her.

Apollo turns around to face Inferno, but Inferno slashes his sword upward and slives Apollo's left arm as well. Another deafening shout comes from his mouth as Inferno kicks him in the chest hard. Aurora is now shaking. I tighten my grasp on her and kiss her forehead.

"It's okay," I whisper.

Apollo collapses to the ground and sheathed the sword. I close my eyes and try to think of good things. I try to think of flowers, honey and my home. But, I can't think of good things in the Hunger Games. Well, not when someone is dying right in front of me.

"Apollo!" Angel shouts in panic. I open my eyes to see her racing toward Inferno, but someone suddenly grabs her from behind a tree. I gasp when I realize that it is the district two tribute, Jolie. Dang, where did she come from?

"Oh no, you don't save him," Jolie sings into Angel's ear as Angel tries to get free from her cold grasp. She fails because Jolie is so strong. Too strong for her. Jolie then pins her arms behind her back before kicking her behind the knees to make her kneel down.

"Hey, lover boy," Inferno laughs as he picked up Apollo's severed arms. "Why don't you help your girlfriend instead of just laying there?"

At that moment, Apollo gets up to his feets and shouts curses after curses at Inferno. I cover Aurora's ears because she shouldn't hear that kind of language. She smacks my arms away and looks up at me.

"I want to hear this," she whispers.

I look back at the scene in front of me. Inferno is smiling down at Apollo before using his severed right hand to hit him across the face.

"Well, would you just look at that? Even _you _don't like yourself," he says with a laugh.

I watch in horror as Inferno beats Apollo with his own severed arms. What the heck? What is this guys problem? After the second blow, Apollo falls back to the ground while Inferno keeps on beating him.

"Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" Inferno taunted while laughing at Apollo's misery. "Why are you still hitting yourself?"

"What about his little lover here?" Jolie asks.

I see the two tribute partners smile evilly before Inferno gets of Apollo and walks over to Angel. She looks up at him with fear. Inferno gets in her face and uses Apollo's severed arms to beat Angel's face.

"Hey, Apollo! Why are you hitting your girlfriend?" Jolie shouts loudly.

"Abusive relationship much," Inferno laughed as he continued to hit Angel with Apollo's arms. "Stop hitting your girlfriend. Aren't you two supposed to be madly in love with each other?"

"I don't think he likes her anymore," Jolie says with a laugh.

I can't believe this is happening. Should I do something? I should help them, shouldn't I? But, all I can do is just sit there and watch the show. I knew the district two tributes were strong, but I didn't know they were this evil. There isn't anything that can stop them. They are out of my league.

I hear a shout of fury. I look over and see Apollo run toward them in rage. But, as soon as he gets near Inferno, Inferno throws a powerful fist at Apollo's throat. I hear the bones break in his throat as blood pours out of Apollo's mouth. His body falls to the ground. Angel screams loudly in horror as Apollo's body falls right in front of her.

"Apollo! No!" she shouts.

"Pity," Inferno said. It sounded like he didn't really meant to do it, but I know he did. "I wanted to have more fun with him." I roll my eyes. I was right.

"Well, I think the lover girl wants to have one last kiss from her lover," Jolie says.

My eyes bug out and I gasp with horror. What? Are they really going to make her kiss her dead boyfriend? This is just too much!

"I guess she does," Inferno answers before he picks up Apollo's dead body and holds his face in front of Angel.

"Go on. Give your precious boyfriend a passionate kiss on the lips," he says with a laugh. Angel keeps her face turned away from Apollo's lifeless face.

"I don't think she loves him anymore," Jolie says as she shoves Angel's head forward. She makes her kiss the dead body right on the lips. Angel tries to fight, but she's too weak to resist. A couple seconds later, she is pulled away from the dead body. She starts crying and sobbing. She buries her head in her hands and shakes with fear. This only makes the district two tributes laugh harder.

"Did you not like that?" Jolie asks.

"Guess not. Now, go ahead and kill the lover girl so she can be with her lover boy," Inferno instructs Jolie.

"With pleasure," Jolie says.

She looks up and faces the group of careers.

"Now listen up! All of you here and in the Capitol! This is the Hunger Games! Not the Romance Games! And, this is what happens when you get love in the arena!" she shouts.

And with that being said, she walks over to Angel before kicking her to the ground. While Angel falls face first into the ground, I see Jolie draw out her sword. She raises it above her head and slice's Angel's head off her body. As Angel's head rolls away, I hear them laughing with pleasure. I watch Jolie pick up Angel's hjead with her left hand and kick it high into the air before it lands in a river of lava.

"How far can you kick, partner?" she asks Inferno.

"Let's see," Inferno says before he pulls out his sword and slices Apollo's head off his body. He grabs it with his left hand and kicks it farther than Jolie. I close my eyes and shake my head. I cannot believe that just happened.

"That far," he says with smile.

As they laugh, I turn my head to look at Aurora. She is gazing around the arena with fear. Can I really protect her from these two?


	18. Chapter 18: Author's Note: Confusion

A/N: This is not a new chapter. In the last chapter, I realized that I put district four boy for the tribute that died. I made a mistake. I meant to put the district four girl, Indigo Nightshade. I am sorry for the confusion. Here is a new list of the tributes that have died and the ones remaining. The names in bold are dead. Sorry again!

**District 1: **Carson Lear

Aurora Lear

**District 2: **Inferno Blackheart

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

Reagan Lockster

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

** Indigo Nightshade **

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

**Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: **Tasi Merkava

**Malaya Ruanda **

**District 8: Simon Vitalee **

Maddie Wilde

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

**District 11: **Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

There you go! I hope that clears up some of the confusion now! District 4 and 5 are completely wiped out of the Games now. I am so sorry for the people who submitted tributes who have already died. It has to happen though. Right now, there are thirteen tributes left. I wish the best for everyone! I will try to update soon also, but I've been busy lately, so I don't know. Well, bye for now!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	19. Chapter 19: Day 4

**Day 4**

_**District 1 – Aurora Lear **_

My brother has always protected me when we were younger. He protected me from bullies, strangers and the occasional boys that wanted to do a little something more than a kiss.

When we were preparing for the Hunger Games, he continued to protect me. We still acted like siblings, but I knew we couldn't last that way. We can't be siblings anymore. We have to fight for our lives. What will happen if it comes down to the two of us? Can I really kill my own brother? I don't think I can do that.

I want to win. I think Carson wants me to win. He's a very good brother. He loves me, and I love him. But, I want to win. I'm determined to be victorious. No matter what it takes!

I must admit that after the Hunger Games, I tried to stay away from Carson. If he died, I didn't want to see it happen. I couldn't watch my own brother die. I couldn't live with myself. I probably couldn't even sleep at night. Well, I can't even sleep in the arena anyway. I'm always scared someone is going to sneak up and kill me.

It's the fourth day in the arena, but it feels like it's been so much longer. The days just run into one another. It feels awful. Can it just end already?

After Angel and Apollo died yesterday, I told Carson to leave me alone. I didn't want to be around him. I don't feel safe around Inferno and Jolie. They're dangerous. They can kill us because they know we're siblings. They will want to kill us both.

"_Carson, we have to separate. I didn't even want to be around you in the first place. It's not safe," I told him. He shook his head forcefully. _

"_No, I'm not leaving you alone. Something might happen to you," he said. _

"_And what if it does? Carson, you have to trust me. You know who I am. I'm strong. I can defend myself," I told him. He sighed and sat down next to a tree. _

"_I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you and I wasn't there to help. I'm your twin brother. I'm supposed to protect you," he said. _

"_You've protected me my whole life! You've done your job as the protective brother. I'll be okay. We have to separate though. We'll be able to move around faster," I said. He stared up at me and sighed. _

"_Are you sure about this? You'll be able to take care of yourself?" he asked. I smile and lightly tapped his foot with my boot. _

"_Don't I always? I'll be fine!" I shouted. He stood up and looked down at me. He smiled and nodded his head._

"_I guess it's a better idea than staying close to each other," he said. _

"_I told you. I'm always right," I said with a smile on my face. He laughed and nodded his head._

"_We're all aware of that," he said. I lifted my hand and thumped his forehead with my finger. He winced and shook his head. _

"_Thanks a lot for that," he said. I laughed and stepped away from him. _

"_Okay, so I guess this is good-bye for now," I said. He looked down into my eyes and slowly nodded his head. I know he doesn't want to say good-bye. Good-bye kind of means the end of something. This isn't the end. It's just farewell for now. _

"_I love you, Aurora. I know we fought in the past, but you're my twin. I will always love you," he said. I smiled and nodded my head. I will always love my brother too, no matter what he does. _

"_I love you too, Carson. You're an amazing brother. I don't think I ever really told you that," I said. He smiled and raised his hand in a slight wave. I respond by waving back. I turned around and walked away from him. I walked further into the woods, away from his sight. _

I snap my head out of my daydream. Well, that was yesterday. Today is a completely different day. I have to stay focused. I can't let other people finding me daydreaming. They'll think I can't stay focused. I _can_ focus on anything.

"Aurora..." a voice says my name from the distance. I glance up at the trees. I squint my eyes to look for a body. Who said my name?

"Over here..." the voice speaks again. I sigh and turn toward the voice.

"Who's there?" I ask out loud.

"Why don't you come find me? Aurora..."

I take a step forward in the direction of the voice. I try to decipher the voice of the speaker. I remember the voices from the interviews. This voice sounds different though. It sounds like someone else. I can't remember, which completely frustrates me.

"Up here!"

I look up and see Jolie Talon sitting in a tree. I gasp and take a step back. Oh...my...gosh. She's got me trapped now. She knows where I am. She knows I'm here; she knows I can see her. What should I do? Think fast, Aurora!

"Don't be frightened," she says in a sympathetic voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. I actually like you."

She smiles evilly. I stare up at her and shake my head. She doesn't like me. This is a trick. She's trying to fool me. Well, it won't work! I have to get out of here. I turn around and begin to run away from her.

"Aurora! Come back! I promise I won't hurt you!" she shouts. I turn and stare at her.

"Why should I believe you? You're the worst one in this competition!" I shout. She laughs and jumps down from the tree. She lands lightly on her feet. She smiles and wipes her hands on her pants. She walks over to me and extends her hand to shake.

"Truce?"

I stare at the hand. Is this a trick? What happens if I shake it? Will she reach around and stab me? Will she knock me on the head with a rock? I have to think fast around her! She's evil!

"I don't trust you," I say. She frowns and pouts her lips.

"That disappoints me. That actually makes me really upset because I thought you were different. I was going to ask you to be my ally, you know. I saw something in you. You're a true fighter. I'd like to add you to my team. You'll be safe. No one can beat us. Don't you get that? Carson and you will be safe," she says. My eyes prick open when she mentions my brother. Carson already joined her team?

"You already spoke to Carson?" I ask.

"Oh, no. I haven't yet. If you join though, we'll ask him though. I promise," she says. I stare at her. She actually sounds really nice right now. She almost sounds human, which is a nice change in this awful arena.

"Well, it would be nice to survive..." I say. She smiles and holds out her hand. I stare at it and slowly extend my hand.

"Come on, Aurora. Shake my hand to make it official," she says. I look down at the hand. I slowly reach across and shake it. She has a forceful shake. She smiles and looks behind me.

"Oh, hey Inferno! Wait, Inferno! No! Don't hold up your sword! Aurora is a member of our team now! Inferno! No! Stop it! Put your sword down! Get away from her! Stop it! Aurora, watch out!" she screams.

I turn around and instantly grab my knife from my pocket. I reach around and throw it at Inferno without thinking. I don't even look. When I hear the scream, my mind instantly shuts down. I know that scream.

That isn't Inferno.

That's my brother.

I turn around and look at him kneeling on the ground. A knife is sticking straight into his chest, right near his heart. I scream at the top of my lungs and run over to him. Oh shit! What the hell did I do?

"Carson!" I shout. I grab his body and hold him closely to my body. I reach down and run my hands through his blonde hair. He has to be okay. It's just a knife. It couldn't have injured him too much. Could it?

"Aurora...why...why did you do that to me?" he asks weakly. I start to sob. I try to wipe away my tears, but they're rushing down my face so fast. I can't stop them.

"I didn't know it was you! I thought it was Inferno! Jolie tricked me!" I shout. He looks up into my eyes. He's struggling to stay alive. I can just tell.

"You...killed me..." he says. I shake my head and wipe the tears away from his eyes.

"No, I didn't kill you. You're still alive, Carson," I say. He looks up and tries to smile. His hand reaches up and touches my cheek.

"Take care of yourself." I shake my head. No, he can't leave me. He can't leave me here all alone!

"Carson, stay with me," I plead.

"I will always look after you...and protect you..." he says, his breathing growing very weak. I sob and look down at him.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you too," he says. He looks up at the sky. And with that, his eyes close and his body drifts up to the Lord. His body stops moving. His arm drops to the ground. He stops breathing, and I know he has gone home. He's dead.

I sob and lean over his dead body. My brother is dead! I killed my own brother! The loud boom erupts signaling his death to everyone else in the arena. I cry loudly and bury my head into his chest. Why? Why did this happen?

"You killed your own brother. How pathetic," Jolie says.

I sit up and look at her in between tears. I feel anger pulsing through my body. I slowly stand up and brush the dirt off my body.

"You did this," I say. She shrugs her shoulders like she doesn't know what I'm talking about.

"This is the Hunger Games, Aurora. Did you really think you could trust me?" she asks. I stare at her in disbelief. I can't believe this happened.

"Why did you say it was Inferno? That was my brother! Do you not understand? That was my brother! It wasn't a lover or my best friend! It was my blood relative. He was my twin, and I killed him! How could you do something like that?" I angrily ask. She laughs and shrugs her shoulders.

"It's easy. I like to change things up in here. I like to make things interesting for the audience. It's also rather entertaining for me," she says.

I step closer to her and shake my head. Oh, well it's not very funny!

"You better watch it, Jolie!" I shout. She rolls her eyes.

"You're the one who better watch it. You're next," she says.

She turns around and quickly runs away. I step back and fall to the ground. I bury my head into my hands. My body shakes as I cry. This is the worst day ever.

"I'm so sorry, Carson. I'm sorry...I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me..."

I look up at the trees. The wind causes them to rustle. Birds chirp and I can hear the lava flow nearby. I smile and look up at the sky.

"Thanks, Carson. I love you too."

**A/N: Pretty intense, right? I know it wasn't that great for Aurora to kill her own brother, but Joline is awful. She also happens to be one of my favorite characters to write. Thanks to darkwolf127 for that. Also, Aurora is being very brave right now, and I can't wait to see what happens to her. I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I hope to update soon. Don't count on it though because we have company over at my house for a week or so. It's kind of rude to get on the computer when you have company. That's just me though. Anyway, here is the updated list of the tributes. Remember, the names in bold are the ones that have died. I'm sorry, but it has to happen until the final victory winner!  
**

**District 1: Carson Lear **

Aurora Lear

**District 2: **Inferno Blackheart

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

Reagan Lockster

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

**Indigo Nightshade **

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

**Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: **Tasi Merkava

**Malaya Ruanda **

**District 8: Simon Vitalee **

Maddie Wilde

**District 9: Thalia Millentum **

Alby Blossom

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

**District 11: **Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

**There you go! I'm sorry, but there are still twelve tributes left! May the odds be ever in your favor! **

**As always,**

**Fiddlegirl **


	20. Chapter 20: Day 5

**Day 5 **

_**District 12 – Ryder Hustiths **_

Goodness gracious. I sometimes wonder why I have survived this long. It's day five already, and I about to kill myself. I've seen so many people die already. I mean, yes, I want to live, but this is really hard. Sea is already dead. I thought she would've lasted longer. She was a strong young girl.

People never have any faith in District 12. They never think we will survive even though we are strong. We're as good as anybody else. I mean, I'm a good fighter. I'm also good looking. That's enough to win some sponsors, right?

I wish there are some strong weapons in this arena. Who knows, there might be some. I just can't find them. That's the bad thing about the Hunger Games. You really are on your own. You really do have to fight for survival.

The girl from District Two tried to kill me yesterday. Though, when does she _not_ try to kill people? It's her mission in life to go around and make people suffer. It's so annoying, yet at least she's a good competitor. She knows how to fight, and she loves to flaunt it for the cameras. I heard about the couple from District 5. That was just awful.

Anyway, I'm just taking a break here. I'm sitting down, my back leaning against a rock. A lava river flows near me. I actually saw someone purposely fall into the lava today. I think he was from District Seven. I don't know why. He just looked at me. He raised his finger to his mouth to silence me. I wasn't saying anything though. Was he silencing my thoughts?

Then, he just jumped into the lava and let the burning water kill him. Suicide. I've heard it happens sometimes in the Games. People get tired of the killing. They just give up on life and want everything to end. I don't blame him. It'd be nice to end everything, but I know I can never do that. I've still got to live for Lilia.

Lilia. I wonder how she is doing? Is she okay? Is she worrying about me? Has she been watching the Games? I wouldn't really want her to watch everything. It's too violent. What if I die? That's the last thing I want. I don't want her to watch my own death.

"AHHHH!"

Instantly, I stand up from the grass. I look around the woods. Who the heck was that?

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The screams are coming from my left. I turn in the direction and start running. I run through the woods. My head turns side-to-side as I search for the person who might possibly be injured.

I stop walking when I see the girl from District Eight lying on the grass. A knife is stuck in her chest. Standing over her is the girl from District Eleven. I believe her name is Tansy Marie Hepperly. I gasp when I see her. I didn't think she'd kill someone in the Games. She's a nice girl. Yes, she is strong, but I thought she was quiet. Isn't she in love with her district partner or something? They're both in love with each other. Well, people in love don't kill people. It's just that simple.

"I had to," Tansy Marie says. She places her extra knifes in her outfit and runs away from the scene. I stare at her as she runs toward Thunnus. They grab each other and smile.

I turn my attention to the dying girl on the ground. I walk over to her and lean down next to her body.

"What's your name?" I ask. She gasps for breath and clutches her chest. The knife is perfectly placed in her chest. I'm impressed by Tansy's abilities. She must be really good with knives. Remind me to stay away from her.

"Maddie Wilde," she mutters.

"Tell me your life story," I say.

"Why?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know. I guess I'd like to know who you are before you die," I say. She gasps and stares into my eyes. She shakes her head and wipes away her tears.

"I'm dying?" she asks. I wince and nod my head. Denial. This poor girl is in denial. What can I do about it? Nothing.

"You don't deserve to hear my life story," she says. I glare at her and shake my head. I stand up and stare down at her body. Fine, I'll just leave her to die alone. I tried to be helpful. She doesn't appreciate it.

"Fine. Go die alone. I don't care," I say. I turn around and begin to walk away from her when I hear a cough.

"No, please don't leave me," she gasps. I turn around and stare down at her. She is crying now and her body is beginning to shake. I know she doesn't have that much time. That poor girl.

"I won't leave you," I say. I lean down and sit next to her. I stare at her as her breathing grows weaker and weaker.

"Were you at least a good person?" I ask. She smiles slightly and nods her head.

"I'd like to thank so."

"You're pretty cute too," I say. I just say that to make her feel better. I don't really care how she looks. I mean, she's cute, but not as cute as Lilia.

"Thanks," she whispers. I smile and nod my head.

"No problem," I say. She leans up slightly and looks into my eyes.

"Can I say something to the cameras?" she asks. I nod my head and motion to the woods. I don't know where the cameras are, but I'm sure they are filming this.

"By all means, be my guest."

She sits up more and looks around the woods. She smiles and touches her chest.

"Adam and Sylvia, you were my best friends. I'll never forget you. Adam, I'll never forget you too. You know what? I love you. It's crazy to say right now, but I do. You were always the guy I imagined marrying someday. I hope you find a good girl, someone like me. Also, Daddy, I know you will be safe without me. Mom already left us a long time ago, but I don't want you to worry about me. I'm going to be with her now. You shouldn't worry or cry about me. I'm going to be fine. I want you to take care of Hannah and Laura. They'll need you now. The last thing I want to say is for everyone in my life. Adam, Sylvia, Dad, Hannah and Laura. I don't want you to remember me with tears. I want you to remember me with smiles. If you smile, I'll be smiling down from Heaven. But, if you can only remember me with tears, don't remember me at all," she says. As she speaks, her voice grows weaker. She eventually lays down on the ground and closes her eyes. I lean over her body and stare at her.

"Are you okay?" I ask. She nods her head and continues to keep her eyes closed.

"I'm fine. I'm ready to leave now. God can take me now," she says. I sit there in silence as I watch her die. It's really freaking watching people die. It's definitely different. I never want to experience this ever again.

Seconds later, I hear the loud boom that signals her death. I sigh and stand up from her body. I turn around and quickly walk away. How many are left now? Is it really ten more people? Wow. I think I can do this.

No.

I know I can do this.

No.

I _can_ do this.

A/N: Here is the list of the remaining tributes. The tribute names that are in bold are dead, as always. I hope you liked this chapter. Tell me your thoughts in a review please!

**District 1: Carson Lear **

Aurora Lear

**District 2: **Inferno Blackheart

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

Reagan Lockster

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

** Indigo Nightshade**

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

** Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: Tasi Merkava**

** Malaya Ruanda **

**District 8: Simon Vitalee**

**Maddie Wilde**

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

**District 11: **Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

So, Districts 4,5,7 and 8 are completely swiped out. Who will be next? I'll try to update soon, but I start school next week. I don't know when I'll find time to update. I'll try to write soon though. Thanks for reading.

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	21. Chapter 21: Day 6

**Day 6 **

_**District 10 – Sakura Dragomir **_

The days have been tough with Damien. I'm not going to lie. It's been extremely hard to push myself to survive. Yesterday, I fell in a lava river. I wanted to stay in there and just let the burning water kill me, but I knew Damien wouldn't approve of that. He wouldn't want me to commit suicide to just end my life. He'd be ashamed of me, and I can't make my dead brother upset.

No, I have to keep fighting, even if it's the last thing I do.

Today has been fairly easy. It's been peaceful in the woods. I'm trying to hunt right now because I'm pretty sure I'm dying of starvation. Who knew that would ever happen to me?

Have I killed anybody? Nope. I've been lucky not to do that yet. I don't want to kill anyone. Killing people is bad. It's wrong, and I can't do that. I just can't do that without feeling guilty. There is one person I want to kill – the murderer who killed Damien. He, or she, needs to go down. If only I can find out who killed him.

*SNAP*

I turn out to find Inferno Blackheart standing behind me. He raises a sword above his head. I scream as he lowers his arm.

"Please don't kill me!" I shout. He laughs mockingly and continues to lower his arm. He does it slowly, as if to make me wait even more. It's not even fair.

"Help me!" I shout out into the forest.

Suddenly, a sword smashes into Inferno's head. His cries out in pain as he drops to the ground. I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand.

"THIS WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN!"

I look up and see Jolie Talon standing over Inferno's body. He stares up at her as blood pours out of his head. I know he's going to die, but I never imagined Jolie would kill Inferno. They were a team. In fact, they were the best team in the Games. And now this happened?

"What the heck?" Inferno shouted. Jolie leans down to gaze into his eyes.

"I told you to kill her. She's the enemy. Her twin brother died, so she deserves to die too. It's just that simple. We went over and over on this! You don't do things slowly. You kill them quickly. I am surprised at you. I thought you were a better warrior than that," she says.

Inferno holds up his hands in surrender, but I see his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Oh no. His time is almost up. I know he's going to die soon. He's losing too much blood. Honestly, I feel bad for the dude. He didn't expect that at all, especially from his tribute partner. Who kills your own tribute partner on purpose? It doesn't happen, unless you're the last two left.

"Can't you spare me for my one mistake? I'm sorry!" he shouts. She smiles and shakes her head. She is one cruel girl. She is serious about winning the Games. She won't let anyone get in her way.

"I'm sorry, Inferno, but I'm through with you. You were helpful for a while, but I knew you weren't meant to win. You're not as strong as I am. So, good-bye. Have a nice life in Hell," she says. She pulls out her sword and slams it down into his chest. Inferno cries out in pain. I wince and turn my head so I don't have to see him spitting up blood.

Seconds later, I hear the boom signaling his death. I turn and stare at his dead body. Poor guy. It's unfortunate how you die in the Hunger Games. Some people die from starvation, some people die from drowning while others die from murder. It's a cruel, hard world in this arena.

"It's your turn, pumpkin," she says as she turns toward me. I stare at her with fear. Oh no. This can't happen right now. I'm not ready to die. I promised Damien I would fight until the end to save my life. I can't break that promise.

"Get away from me," I spit out. She rolls her eyes and steps toward me.

"Do you realize I can kill you in two seconds flat?"

"Yeah, but I don't care. You still won't kill me," I say. She stares at me, and for a split second, I see her draw back. I see her eyes quiver as she tries to understand the power in my voice. I have to be tough, and that is exactly what I'm doing.

"Who do you think you are?" she asks.

"I'm Sakura Dragomir. What do _you _think you are? Oh, I know! You're a bitch."

She gasps and steps away from me. Her mouth falls open as she stares at me with shock. Then, she glares and holds her sword up high into the air.

"Hey! Don't tempt me!" she shouts. I shrug my shoulders and cross my arms over my chest.

"Go ahead. See if I care." She raises her hand and gazes down at me.

"I'm going to kill you!" she shouts. I shrug my shoulders. I must keep up this behavior. I have to continue to be tough. I have to show her that she isn't the only one who's in control anymore. I can be tough too. I'm a fighter also.

"I'd like to see you try," I say. I step back and stare at her.

"What did you say?" she asks, inching her way toward me.

"You heard me." She steps toward me. She raises the sword above my head. As it comes down, a voice appears out of nowhere.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

We both turn to see District 3's Reagan Lockster. It's a surprise I remembered her name, but that's not the point right now. Julie turns and glares at her.

"We're in the middle of something right now," she says. Reagan walks over to us and shakes her head.

"I don't care if you're in the middle of something right now. You need to leave her alone. I'm sick and tired of how you walk all over people. You act like you're the queen of the Hunger Games, when in reality, you're not even close to being a queen. You're mean. You're nasty. You're a bitch. I wish someone would just kill you so we don't have to deal with you anymore," she says. Jolie laughs and rolls her eyes.

"If you want me dead, then why don't you do the job?" she asks.

"Do you want to die?"

Jolie stares at her. She slowly drops her sword to the ground. She shrugs her shoulders and holds up her hands.

"You've got me. Go ahead. Kill me. I'm done with this. Do it. Kill me now," she says. I glance over at Reagan with surprise. Is she serious? This can't be right. She really doesn't want Reagan to kill her.

"Are you sure?" she asks Jolie.

"I've never been so sure about something my whole life," she responds.

Reagan looks at me with fear. She reaches down and grabs the sword from the ground. She steps back and raises the sword up into the air. She closes her eyes. I know she is going on in her head. She's wondering why she got so lucky to kill the biggest warrior in the Games, but she's probably also scared to kill her.

"Do it already!" Jolie shouts.

"Okay!"

Reagan slowly lowers the sword. Then, she draws it back up into the air. She opens her eyes and stares into Jolie's eyes. I glance over and notice that Jolie is reaching into her pocket. Is she reaching for her token? What the heck is she doing?

Suddenly, as Reagan lowers her arm, Jolie reaches out her hand and stabs Reagan in the neck with a knife. I scream and cover my mouth with my hands. Oh shit! I wasn't expecting that at all. I mean, I know she was reaching for something, but I didn't know it was a knife.

Reagan screams and falls to the ground. Within seconds, I hear the loud boom signaling her death. She's dead. It was so quite. 20 seconds ago, she was here with us. Now, she's dead and gone. How does that even happen?

"I've done it again. You wanna be next?" she asks me. I quickly shake my head. She smiles and turns away from me. "That's what I thought."

She runs out of the forest. I watch her run away in bewilderment. She's a wild one. You never know when she will strike next.

**A/N: As always, the names in bold are dead. Sorry! **

**District 1: Carson Lear **

Aurora Lear

**District 2: Inferno Blackheart **

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

** Reagan Lockster**

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

** Indigo Nightshade**

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

** Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: Tasi Merkava **

** Malaya Ruanda **

**District 8: Simon Vitalee **

** Maddie Wilde **

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

Sakura Dragomir

**District 11: **Thunnus Seidon

Tansy Marie Hepperly

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

**There you have it! There are eight tributes left. Isn't that exciting? I think so! Who do you think will be the victor? You'll just have to wait and see. **

**As always, **

**Fiddlegirl **


	22. Chapter 22: Day 7

**{A/N: Here is another chapter. I'm so glad you guys like this story. It gives me motivation to write. It really does. A HUGE shoutout to Shipwreckedd! Thank you for your AWESOME reviews. They make me SO happy to read. Anyway, here is day 7. Happy reading!}**

**Day 7 **

_**District 9 – Alby Blossom**_

Sitting here, up against a rock, staring up into the sky, my thoughts travel back to when I was a kid when people used to bully me. The Hunger Games are just like that. Inferno used to bully me before he was killed by his own tribute partner. He used to shove me into lava; he tried to kill me that way. But, I was smarter than that.

I guess that's the good thing about being a nerd. I'm actually smart. That's why I've survived this long. I can't believe it's already the seventh day. It doesn't seem possible. So many people have died already. People who are stronger than me. People who the Capitol supported. The Careers were dying, but I was still alive.

I am still alive.

My thoughts travel back to the day I was reaped. I know something bad happened to Ritneli. I never got the chance to see what happened. She was just carried away by the bullies – to a place I don't even want to think about.

I wish I could see her. I wish I could see what happened to her after I leave District 9. I know something happened. I can't even begin to imagine what the bullies did to her. But, I know Ritneli. She's a strong girl. Heck, she'd kill us all in the Hunger Games if she was reaped. But, the bullies are strong boys too. They could do stuff to her that would probably make my blood boil with anger.

"Sven, please let me see how she's doing," I speak out loud. I wish there was a way I could see her back in District 9. I want to know how she is. If I know she's okay, then I can die. But, if she's not okay, I will fight with my whole heart to win. I will go home and I will help her. I will protect her. That's what best friends do.

*Beep Beep Beep*

What the heck is that? I look around the forest and see a little machine descend from the sky. It stops in front of my face. It has a little television screen on it. Oh, did Sven do this for me? Will I get to see Ritneli?

The screen turns on and I see an image of Ritneli running through a forest. She looks behind her at someone. I can't tell who it is. She trips and falls down on the ground. I gasp and sit up a little more. I feel like I'm watching a movie, but this is my best friend. It's so much more than a movie.

"No!" she shouts. Two bullies reach her and they tackle her. They lift her up and drag her over to a tree. They tie her body up with a rope and begin to beat her. They beat her and smack her like she is a ragdoll.

"STOP!" she yells at the top of her lungs. I feel tears form in my eyes at the image on the screen. This is what's happening right now?

"We saw you watching your little boyfriend on the screen the other day! We saw you crying when that Inferno dude pushed him into the lava! You're such a wimp!" they shout. They continue to slap her across the face.

"Please just leave me alone! I beg of you!" she pleads.

"Yeah, leave her alone!" I shout.

"Sorry, we can't do that until we kill you," they say.

"KILL HER?!" I shout in surprise and shock. Oh no! They can't do this. They can't do this to MY Ritneli. Oh, I mean...they can't do this to Ritneli.

"Please, don't kill me. I know Alby is going to win. He's so strong. I want to be here when he comes home," she says in tears. They laugh and shake their heads.

"You really think that dork is going to win the Hunger Games? You're living in denial, girly. Your stupid little friend won't survive much longer. He'll die, and when he dies, you will die. That way you can live together forever in Heaven, or wherever you two will go," they say. They reach out and smack her cheek again.

"STOP IT!" I shout.

Suddenly, I hear someone laugh behind me. I turn around and see District 10's Sakura standing behind me. I stand up quickly and raise my stealth sword and point it at her. I know I can't hurt her, but who knows what she might do to me. Her brother is dead. She might be crazy at this point of the Games.

"Woa! Settle down. I'm not going to hurt you," she says. She raises her arms in surrender. She stares into my eyes and I feel like I can trust her. I slowly lower my arm and place my weapon back in my pocket.

*Beep Beep Beep*

I turn around and see the screen ascend up to the sky. I can still see Ritneli on the screen as it vanishes away. She is muttering something, but I can't make out what it is. Why does she have to go away again?

"Is she your girlfriend?" Sakura asks. I turn and look at her. I smile and shake my head. Everything seems to think that, don't they?

"No, she's my best friend," I answer. She sighs and nods her head.

"What happened to her?"

"I was reaped. In my district, I'm a loser. People bullied me every day. It was bad when I was little because I had no one to protect me or help me. That's when Ritneli appeared. She was always so good with the bullies. She helped me. She's a strong girl, and we became best friends. Well, when I was reaped, the bullies got her. They dragged her away, and I don't know what they did to her. I've been thinking about it every day. I just had to know if she was okay. So...so..."

Sakura reaches out and pats my shoulder. I stare into her eyes and see small tears at the edges.

"You could write a book on that, you know," she says with a laugh. I smile and nod my head. I certainly have a story to tell.

"You wanna win for her. You wanna win so you can go home and save her? Be her knight in shining armor..." she says. I smile and stare at her. She's good.

"I guess you can say that," I whisper. She smiles and steps toward me. She reaches out and places her hand on my cheek.

"Well, I won't kill you," she says. She turns around and runs toward a tree. I smile and stare at her. She's the first nice person I've met in the Games, well, besides Thalia, but she died too soon for me to really get to know her.

At that very moment, someone reaches out from behind a tree and grabs Sakura's arm. Sakura screams and is hurled behind the tree. I hear someone beating her. Sakura screams at the top of her lungs. I run over to the tree and see District 2's Jolie stabbing Sakura with a knife – directing in the chest.

I know it's over for Sakura. But, did it have to be Jolie? Why does she kill everyone? Why can't someone kill her?

Jolie stands up and stares down at Sakura's dead body. The loud boom goes off so everyone in the arena knows someone else is dead. Jolie turns and laughs. She looks at me and places her hands on her hips.

"She had it comin'. Now, what can I do about you?" she asks as she steps toward me. I step away from her and hold up my hands.

"Stay away from me," I whisper. She laughs and grabs the knife from Sakura's chest. She points it toward me.

"What's the matter, 9? Are you scared?"

"Why don't you go bother someone else?" I ask.

"Because it wouldn't be fun that way," she says. She inches closer and closer to me. I step back and hold up my stealth sword.

"Get away from me," I say.

"Why should I?"

"Hey! Why don't you just leave him alone?" a voice shouts. I turn and see District 11's Thunnus Seidon standing near us. Jolie laughs and rolls her eyes.

"I'm sick and tired of everyone sticking up for each other. Do you guys realize this is the Hunger Games? You're supposed to kill people! That's the whole purpose of it. If you guys can't realize that, then you don't deserve to be here. That's why I am going to kill both of you right now. The sooner we get this show on the road and have it over with it, I will be the victor. I want that really badly."

Thunnus steps closer to her.

"When are you going to accept the fact that you're a scaredy-cat just like the rest of us? You might act all tough and stuff, but when it comes down to the final two, and someone might actually have to kill you, you will be scared too. And don't say it's not true when you know in your heart, that is, if you have a heart, that you're scared of death too."

Jolie glares at him and walks toward him. She raises her knife and holds it above her head.

"I don't need this from you!" she shouts.

"Well, we don't need your shit either!" he shouts. She gasps and stares at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tansy Marie standing behind a tree, watching the scene in front of her. Jolie doesn't know she's there. What's the plan? Is Tansy going to kill Jolie when she least expects it? Oh please let that happen!

"I can kill you right now!" Jolie shouts. Thunnus steps aside and bows his head like he's an actor in a show.

"Be my guest. I'd like to see you try," he says. I giggle softly at his attitude. He's good. He's more that good. He's outstanding.

"Don't tempt me!" she shouts.

"If you were really going to kill me, you would've done it by now," he says. That's actually true. She wouldn't be waiting this long. She would've snapped him like a little twig.

Suddenly, I hear a girl screaming at the top of her lungs. I turn around and see Tansy Marie lying on the ground, a sword cut right through her chest. Thunnus yells and runs over to her. I can't help but follow him. Who killed her? Jolie was standing her the whole time.

"Thunnus..." she breathes out. He gets down on his hands and knees and strokes her cheek.

"I'm right here, baby."

I look up and see District 6's Katia Sievert running away from us. It was her. I haven't seen her at all. She must've been hiding or something. What made her kill Tansy? Tansy's a good girl. I thought Katia was too.

"Am I going to die?" Tansy asks. Thunnus looks down at her and shrugs his shoulders.

"That's up to you," he answers. She starts to sob loudly. She shakes her head and stares up into his eyes.

"I'm not ready to leave you yet," she says. He sighs and runs his hands through her brown hair.

"I'm not ready for you to leave either," he says, his voice cracking as he tries not to cry.

"Thunnus, I love you," she says. He closes his eyes. I know he's trying to keep calm, but he's losing his battle.

"Tansy, you're the only girl I've ever loved," he says. She cries louder. Tears stream down her face. Thunnus leans down and kisses her passionately on the lips. She reaches up and places her hand on his cheek. They pull apart and stare at each other.

"Why do things have to end like this?" she asks. He shrugs his shoulders and gazes into her eyes.

"I don't know, honey. I wish it wasn't ending like this," he says. Tansy cries and kisses his cheek.

"Thunnus, I want you to win," she says.

"I have no motivation to win anymore if you die."

"You can't talk like that. You have to live. You have to win. Please, Thunnus. Win for me," she says.

"I can't win for you if you're not here!"

"I'll still be here. I'll always be with you," she says.

It seems like I'm watching a scene in a movie, or reading a book from my mother's library. This doesn't seem real. The love they have for each other doesn't seem real, but I know it is. Will I ever feel that way for someone? The only thing that comes into my mind is Ritneli.

Ritneli.

_Ritneli._

"Thunnus, I think I'm going now," she says, her voice becoming weak. Her eyes struggle to stay open. Her heart fights to beat.

"Tansy, don't leave me!" he shouts. She smiles one last time and looks into his eyes.

"I'll never leave you," she says. With that, she closes her eyes. The loud boom signals her death. Thunnus cries and places his head on her chest. He sobs loudly – his body shaking as he cries.

"Well, that was certainly a good show," Jolie says as she walks over to us. I roll my eyes and lean against the tree. For Christ's sake! Can't she leave us alone for five minutes?

"Go away," I whisper.

"Thunnus, are you upset your lover died?" Jolie asks in a mocking tone. He sits up and glares at her.

"So what if I am? I loved her," he says. She laughs and steps toward him.

"There is no room for romance in the Hunger Games. I thought I made that very clear a few days with the District 5 couple. If you love her, then maybe you should be with her," she says.

She grabs her knife from her pocket and slices it through Thunnus' throat. I shriek at the sight. Thunnus yells in pain and drops to the ground. The loud boom goes off to signal his death. That was quick. But, at least he's with Tansy now. They can be happy together now.

"He didn't even put up much of a fight," she says with a laugh.

"You're a cruel person," I tell her. She turns to me and glares.

"Do you want to be next, nerd boy?"

"No, I don't want to die," I say.

"Naturally! No one _wants_ to die, Alby. Do you think I should die? Be honest now. Do you want to kill me? I'm waiting for an answer," she says.

"No, I could never kill a girl," I answer. She stares at me, and for a split second, I see her look confused.

"What?" she asks.

"I don't kill girls. Girls don't deserve to die. They're God's Angels. I can't kill an Angel," I say.

She steps back and stares at me. She _really _stares at me. She examines me for a moment before she slowly lowers her arm.

"I've never heard someone say that before, especially in the Hunger Games," she says. I shrug my shoulders and look down at the ground. It's the truth.

"I meant it," I whisper. She looks down at the ground and shifts her feet for a second.

"You just saved your life," she whispers. She turns around and runs out of the forest. I look up and stare at her. When she is almost out of my eye view, she turns around and looks at me once more. She steps up to climb a tree. She looked at me, and I saw something I've never seen her do before.

She gave a genuine smile. I knew that girl had a heart somewhere inside of her.

**A/N: Well, there was another day in the arena. What did you guys think? Do you like Alby? Here is another list of the tributes. Again, the names in bold are dead. **

**District 1: Carson Lear **

Aurora Lear

**District 2: Inferno Blackheart **

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

** Reagan Lockster **

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

**Indigo Nightshade **

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

** Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: Tasi Merkava **

** Malaya Ruanda **

**District 8: Simon Vitalee **

** Maddie Wilde **

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum **

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

** Sakura Dragomir **

**District 11: Thunnus Seidon **

** Tansy Marie Hepperly **

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

**There are only five tributes left! This means the Hunger Games will be ending soon. Who will be the victor? Well, that is a secret that will be kept only to myself. Thanks for reading! **

**As always, **

**Fiddlegirl **


	23. Chapter 23: Day 8

**Day 8**

_**District 6 – Katia Sievert **_

Sometimes I surprise myself. I killed Tansy. Who knew I would ever do that? I don't know what happened. I was just standing there, watching her look at her "boyfriend." She looked like she loved him so much, and I guess I just blew up. It reminded me of my boyfriend who died with my family. I guess I got jealous of their relationship.

I don't know what came over me. I just ran over and stabbed her in the chest. It was done and over with. I ran away from scene to hear her boyfriend crying and trying to help her. I knew she died, and when I heard two booms, I knew he died too. I assume it was suicide, but you never know.

I'm sitting here now, high up in a tree. This tree has become my friend for the past eight days. Can you believe it? Eight days have passed since the Hunger Games have started. I've survived them all. No one has even seen me in this tree. Some of these people are really dumb. I even whistled to someone once. I think it was Aurora Lear, but she just kept walking. She looked upset or something. What's her problem?

Speaking of Aurora, there she is now. She's crawling on the ground, struggling to move her body inch by inch. Starvation. I thought she was at least strong enough to find fun or something.

"Help me," she whispers. I look down at her. Does she know I'm up here? I dare not to move my body. What if this is a trick? What if she tries to get me to help her, and then she kills me? One rule in the Hunger Games: You can't trust anybody.

She turns her body around and looks out at all directions. She looks for anybody to come by and help her, but no one is in sight. Well, except for me, of course.

"Somebody, please help me."

I feel myself feeling sorry for the girl. She's so helpless right now. She can barely move. Has she even had anything to drink? It doesn't look like it. If she doesn't get something to drink or eat soon, she's going to die.

"Carson..." she whimpers.

Your brother is dead, girl. I saw his name flash onto the screen, but I haven't heard what happened to him. Who killed him? I bet it was that killer District 2 girl, Jolie. She scares me so much, but I know she has a heart in her somewhere.

Aurora sees a lava river nearby. Her inner desire for something to drink overcomes her body. She slowly moves her body over to the river. Oh...my...gosh. No, no, no! Don't do it! Don't drink the lava water!

I want to climb down from the tree and stop her from the action I know she is about to do, but I find myself sitting here. I'm watching the event played out before me. I see her dip her head down. I see her wipe her hair out of her face, and I see her take a sip of the lava water.

Then I heard the screams. She jerked her head away from the lava and leaned over onto the grass. She spit the lava out. As she does this, she coughs up blood and other disgusting stuff.

"Somebody help me! It burns!" she shouts.

I feel so bad for her. She didn't know what she was doing. That's the bad thing about the Hunger Games. When you're close to death, you start to lose your mind. You do anything to survive. Yes, you even drink lava water because you think it will help you.

District 9's Alby Blossom runs past her. He sees her coughing up blood and pleading for help. He stops running and walks over to her.

"What happened to you?" he asks. He leans down and pats her back sympathetically.

"I drank the...the..." she gets out before leaning over and spitting out more lava and blood. He pats her back as she does this, but he manages to turn his head away so he doesn't have to watch.

"You drank the lava?" he asks. She nods her head and starts to cry. She leans up and wraps her arms around her knees. She rocks back and forth.

"I didn't know what I was doing! I'm so hungry and thirsty. Carson used to help me find food and water, but he isn't here anymore. I don't know what to do. I need my brother!" she shouts. He leans down and places his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey...it's going to be okay..." he says.

"My tongue is burning!" she cries out. She turns her head and looks at him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asks. She shrugs her shoulders and wipes the tears away from her face. But, it doesn't help much because she resumes to her sobbing. This girl is an emotional wreck. She must've been really close with her brother.

"Can you find me some water and food? I'm so weak that I can't even move around anymore. I have to find food and something to drink. I know I'm going to die soon, so please hurry. Please, I'm counting on you," she says.

You know, for a District 1 Career, she's actually pretty nice.

"I'll help you," Alby whispers. He's pretty nice. He's caring and sweet, and a little bit shy too. I'm not complaining though. He's a good guy, and if I can't win, I'd like to see him win the Games.

He stands up and looks down at her. She looks up at his face and gives a slight smile through her tears.

"Thank you," she whispers. He smiles and turns away from her. "Wait!" He turns around and looks back. "I don't even know your name."

He sighs and looks down at the ground.

"Alby Blossom," he whispers. She smiles and looks down at the ground.

"I'm—"

"I know who you are," he interrupts. "You're Aurora Lear, the beautiful girl from District 1. You're also the girl who killed your own brother," he says. He turns around and runs away.

She looks at him and I know she is about to cry again. He just had to mention that, didn't he? Aurora gazes out at the forest and sighs. She lies down on the ground and gazes up at the sky. She places her hand on her stomach as it grumbles loudly.

Minutes seem like hours. It seems like Alby will never return with food and water. Aurora shifts uncomfortably and starts to vomit. She vomits so much that she no longer has stuff to spit up, but she is still dry-heaving.

She's about to die. Her body is trying to consume food materials, but she doesn't have any in her system. She's going to die.

For the first time in the Games, she's going to die from natural causes. She isn't going to die from death or suicide. She's going to die from starvation. That's the worst way to die too. You aren't dying because you wanted to, or you're not dying in combat.

That poor, poor girl. Do I feel bad for her? Of course. She doesn't deserve to die like that. I feel like it'd be better if someone killed her. At least she'd die a victim of someone else, not a victim of her own body.

That's a good thought, but could I actually kill her? Could I kill a girl I watched suffer and eat lava water? I feel attached to her now. I feel like I know her better than anyone else in the Games, minus her brother, of course.

I've watched it all. I saw it played out like an actor on a stage. I saw her last words written in a novel. I saw her final piece in an orchestral composition.

I saw it all. I saw Aurora Lear dying before my eyes. But, she's still here now. She's still with us, but she's suffering. She knows she's going to die. She knows Alby is taking too long. She knows she can't go on much longer. So, why not end it for her?

Why not be the cause of her going up to Heaven with her brother? Isn't that what she wants? I would be doing her a favor. She would be glad!

I grab my dagger and look down at Aurora. She is crying again and looking up at the sky. It's like she's looking up at Carson in Heaven. She wants to be with him. I can tell. Who wouldn't want to be with their family members? I'd give anything to be with my dad, brother and boyfriend, but I'm not ready to die yet.

I position the dagger and look at her. I make sure I have a good position and that my aim will be perfect. I have to do this. I like Aurora. I like her personality, and I'm sorry I have to do this. But, what else can I do? She's suffering and I'll be putting her out of her misery.

I close my eyes and throw the dagger down to the ground. I hear the screams and I cover my ears to block them out. Then I hear a boom. I look down and see her lying on the ground. She's dead.

I killed Aurora. I'm sorry Aurora. I'm sorry I had to do that, but now you're in a better place. Take care, poor girl.

I see Alby running to her body. He leans down and touches her face. He realizes that she's dead. He sees the dagger in her body and he stands up. He turns around and looks for the killer. He doesn't know I'm sitting up in this tree.

"JOLIE!" he screams. He thinks Jolie killed her. Well, he's wrong. For once, Jolie didn't kill anybody. I did.

His eyes glance up at the tree. His eyes widen when he sees me. He steps back and leans up against a tree.

"It was you again!" he shouts.

"I did what I had to do."

"You had to kill a starving girl? Why?" he asks.

"I saw the whole thing happen. I watched her crawl over to the lava and drink her. I saw her spitting up blood. I saw her crying. I saw you try to help her. I saw you tell her she killed her own brother. I saw her suffer, and I did what I had to do. She was going to die anyway, so I actually helped her. I ended the suffering. I put her out of her misery. She's with her brother now, and I think she's happier that way. So, don't look at me that way. I'm not a bad person. Just because I killed two people doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I ended Aurora's life because I knew it was better for her. She's in a better place now."

He stares up at me as I speak. I know he can understand what I'm saying. I did the best thing for Aurora, so he shouldn't be mad at me. I did the right thing.

"Well, you do realize that there are only four more people, right?" he asks.

"That means I'm this close to winning," I answer. He looks up at me.

"You really think you're going to win?"

"What does that mean?" I snap. He raises his hands in surrender.

"I didn't mean it like that. Jolie is still out there somewhere and she's determined to win. Do you really think you're strong enough to beat her?" he asks.

"Do you? Don't you want to win?" I ask. He looks down at the ground. He grows silent as he thinks.

"With all of my heart," he whispers.

"Then don't give up!" I shout. He looks up at me. He smiles and nods his head.

"Do you want to be allies?"

I stare down at him. Can I trust him? I said earlier than you can't trust anybody in the Hunger Games. That is the truth. You can't trust anyone, but what about him? He seems nice and caring. He also wants to win. We can gain up on Jolie and kill her, if we put our minds to it.

I climb down from the tree and walk over to him. I look into his eyes and see sincerity shining through them. I can trust him.

I smile and extend my hand toward him. He looks down at it and glances up at me.

"We can be allies," I say. He smiles and shakes my hand. He's so polite and sweet. I should play a trick on him. You know, just to scare him.

I pull him toward me and kiss him on the lips. He pushes me away and stares at me. His eyes are so huge right now. I can't help but laugh.

"What was that for?" he asks. I playfully push his shoulder and giggle.

"Relax, boy! That was a joke. Can't you take a joke?"

He tries to laugh but looks down at his feet. He shrugs his shoulders and mutters something underneath his breath.

"Yeah, but I just didn't want you to be my first kiss..."

He turns around and walks away from me. I stare after him. What the heck did that mean? Was I supposed to be offended by that? Or, is there something else going on in his brain?

I shrug my shoulders and follow him. I can't worry about it now. Drama can't take place in the Hunger Games. It will ruin everything. Save the drama for the llama. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a llama grazing a field through the trees. I stop walking and stare at it. Okay. Now THAT was creepy.

**A/N: There you have it. I wasn't too pleased with killing Aurora, but stuff happens. You can't help it. I hope you guys aren't too mad. Anyway, so yes there are four people left. Here's the tribute list. Remember, bold names are dead. **

**District 1: Carson Lear **

** Aurora Lear **

**District 2: Inferno Blackheart **

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

**Reagan Lockster**

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

**Indigo Nightshade**

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

** Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: Tasi Merkava **

**Malaya Ruanda**

**District 8: Simon Vitalee**

**Maddie Wilde**

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum**

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

**Sakura Dragomir **

**District 11: Thunnus Seidon **

**Tansy Marie Hepperly **

**District 12: **Ryder Hustiths

**Sea Jackson **

**I will update as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and review please! Thanks!**

**As always, **

**Fiddlegirl **


	24. Chapter 24: Day 9

{A/N: Short chapter today, folks. I'm sorry, but I am very busy. I was going to write stuff after the high school football game last night, but things popped up. Yeah, I was supposed to go to the game and have a good time, right? Yeah...no. Not right. Right after the national anthem played, we went on a lightning strike. We had to go into the gym and sit for thirty minutes. Then, they were like, "Ok...I think we can play now...oh no! Another lightning...back inside. Ahh! It keeps lightning. Bad storms are moving into the area. Tornado warning in the next county. We're sending you home, folks. The game is cancelled." So, I have to drive home in the rain and bad lightning. I got home and it was like midnight. It went from being light out to dark in five minutes flat. It was bad, but it's okay. Anyway, so...I guess that's the reason why the chapter is short. Don't blame me. Blame Mother Nature. Happy reading.}

**Day 9 **

_**District 2 – Jolie Talon **_

Everything is going exactly the way I want it. I've killed people. I've scared people. I've made them want to kill themselves. Yes, I am the best. I am going to win these Games. No one can beat me.

Whenever I think about the people I killed, I feel glad. These deaths are the most meaningful things in my life. I'm not guilty. I'm not scared of their families. I'm not angry it happened. I'm glad.

Everyone in my district should be glad. I did the one thing they wanted me to do. I'm winning. I'm killing people for no good reason. They just deserve to die. I guess you can say I'm crazy and insane. I'm a psychopath. It's how I'm supposed to be.

I'm climbing a mountain now. It's the ninth day of the Games, and I haven't really explored this mountain yet. Maybe there is someone here that I can kill. There are only four more tributes left in the Games. That means I am three away from victory. They better watch out. I'm coming for them.

I glance over and see District 12's Ryder Hustiths leaning against a tree. I smile and walk over to him. Yes! My next victim!

"Hello, boy!" I shout. His head snaps up and he looks at me. He doesn't have a weapon in his hands, which means he's defenseless. If I stab him right now, he won't be able to protect himself.

"Oh, it's you again," he says.

"Fancy meeting you here," I say. I pace around him and examine his body. He's a good looking lad, but of course, I don't care about that.

"What do you want?" he asks.

"You seem upset," I say. He rolls his eyes and looks down at the ground. Something is definitely different about him.

"Why do you care?" he asks rudely. I snap my head at him and grab a knife from my pocket. I should just kill him right now. I don't need this.

"You better watch your mouth when you're around me," I demand. He rolls his eyes and grabs the knife from my hands before I can ever blink. What the hell?! Did he just do that?

"Don't get your pants in a hissy," he mutters. He leans against the tree and looks at the knife.

"I could kill you right now," I say. He shrugs his shoulders and looks at me.

"I'm surprised you haven't already," he says. Well, he took my knife.

"Who do you think you are?" I ask. He turns his head and stares at me.

"I think I should be the one asking you that. Who do you think _you_ are?"

I glare at him and stomp my foot to the ground. I can punch him right now. I can do things to him that would cause him intense pain. I can do it all!

"You don't know who you're dealing with," I say. He rolls his eyes and steps away from the tree. He walks away from me. I turn around to face him. What the heck is he doing?

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"None of your business," he mutters as he walks down the mountain. I stare at him. No, that did _not _just happen! What he heck is wrong with me?

I sit down on the ground and look at my surroundings. The day quickly turns into the night. I glance up at the sky and see there weren't any deaths today. I could've killed Ryder. I had the chance, but he was too smart for me. I'm going to have to watch him. He might be my biggest competition.

I lay my head against the tree trunk. I look up at the dark sky and see the stars begin to twinkle. I sigh and feel my arms develop goose bumps. I shiver in the cold and whimper slightly. It's freezing. I wrap my arms around my body to warm myself, but my fingers feel like ice. Why is it so cold?

Oh, it's easy. The Game Makers are tying to kill me. They're trying to freeze me to death on this mountain. I look up at the sky and see snow begin to fall. It starts out slowly and then it increases in speed. Before I know it, I'm lost in a sea of snow.

Blizzard. Shit.

I stand up and try to move, but my feet can't move. I look down at my feet and see frostbite. I look up at the sky and hear the wind whistle loudly in my ear.

"Help!" I call out.

I fall to the ground. My nose hurts from the cold. My ears feel like they're frozen. I'm sure my lips are turning blue. This is the end for me.

"Help me..." I whisper. I don't want to die yet. I'm Jolie Talon! I'm the best fighter in the Hunger Games! I should be able to defeat this blizzard.

Shit. I'm cold.

A/N: Yeah, there weren't any deaths today. Who knows what will happen to Jolie though? Things aren't looking very good for her right now. Anyway, I will try to update soon, but I can't make any promises. My weekends are booked up for the next month and a half right now. I'm in Fiddler on the Roof at my church, and we have so many rehearsals. It's fun though. Well, I'm not going to post the tribute list since it's the same as the last chapter. Anyway, please review. I appreciate them. Thanks, guys!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	25. Chapter 25: Day 10

(A/N: Well, I know it's been a long time since I have updated on this story, so I decided to write a short chapter for you guys. Yes, it's going to be short because I have several other stories to update too. I feel so bad that I haven't updated, but what can I do? It's my senior year of high school. I'm so busy with college applications and school activities. It's crazy. Anyway, I apologize and I hope you will enjoy this brief chapter. Happy reading!)

**Day 10 **

_**District 12 – Ryder Hustiths **_

It's Day 10, and I am still alive. Can you believe it? Little old me from District 12 is still marching around in this arena. I hope I can keep it up until the end. All I know is that I have to win. I've got a lady back at home waiting for me. I've been thinking about her lately. My beautiful Lilia. People don't know about her. The reason why I have support from female sponsors is because they think I'm desirable. They think I'm single. Well, I'm not. I'm in love with Lilia, and I will fight until I get to see her again.

Lately, I've been having flashbacks to the past. I've heard this is common in the Hunger Games. Tributes start thinking about the past and it affects their performance in the arena. So far, it hasn't affected my performance at all. I'm still determined to win. I _want _to win. Nothing can change that.

Right now, my mind flashes back to our first date. It was amazing. We had a small picnic in her barn. No one knew about us, so we got to enjoy ourselves. She cooked me dinner with the amount of food she had, which consisted of bread and soup. It wasn't much, but it was enough for us. It was perfect.

What I would give to go back to those moments. I'd do anything, that's for sure. I'd do anything for her. That's why I have to win. I'm not going to die and leave her alone. That'd kill her. I can't let that happen.

I'm going to spill a little secret. Lilia and I had a night a couple days before the Reapings. It was special. It was just the two of us. It was meant to happen. I told her I loved her and I would do anything for her.

I'm still going to keep that promise. I just have to keep it up.

"Hey."

I turn around to see a boy standing behind me. He must be the District 9 guy – Alby Blossom. What a guy...

"What do you want?" I ask him.

"You're the only guy left in the Games besides me," he says. I shrug my shoulders. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

"Yes, and your point is?" I ask.

"Well, one of us has to die," he says. I roll my eyes and turn away from him. Yes, I realize that. There can only be one winner. Maybe I should just kill him right now? It wouldn't harm anyone.

"I can fix that with one blow to your head," I say. His eyes widen with worry and he shakes his head.

"Look, I was wondering if you'd like to join my team," he says. I squint my eyes at him with suspicion. What the heck is he talking about? He has a team?

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, we need to gain up on Jolie, the girl from District 2," he says. I roll my eyes. I know who Jolie is. Anyone knows who she is. I'm not stupid.

"Okay...and?" I ask.

"Well, Katia and I teamed up to get rid of her. Personally, I don't like to kill girls. They're God's little Angels, but Katia said she would do it. Now, if you join our team, we have a better chance of getting rid of her. Maybe you can help kill her so Katia doesn't have to do it all on her own," he says.

I stare down at him and nod my head. I guess it makes sense. We have to get rid of her. She's insane. She's a psychopath. A psychopath doesn't deserve to win. It shouldn't work out that way.

"I'll join your team. Don't worry. I won't kill you," I say. He smiles and holds out his hand. I extend my hand and shake his. This is a strange ally system, but it's the only thing we can do right now.

"Thanks," he says. I shove him away from me and smile.

"Yet..."

I turn around and walk out of the forest. I laugh and shake my head. I turn back and see him staring at me with his mouth agape. Oh, that's exactly what I wanted. Yes...it's everything I wanted at this moment.

I walk along the lava river. The grass is crunching underneath my feet. I look up at the sky and sigh. Maybe the Games will end tomorrow. I sure hope so. I want to get home. It's the one thing I want right now. I just want to go home...

A/N: Yeah, there weren't any deaths in this chapter either. I hope you aren't too unhappy with me. There will be a death in the next chapter, but I won't tell you who yet! You know...because I'm evil like that. Anyway, I will try to update as soon as I can!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	26. Chapter 26: Day 11

{A/N: This is a quick chapter. I just wanted to get it up before I left in the morning for Chicago! Yeah, I'm going to Chicago tomorrow to see a Broadway show and explore the city. I'm so excited! I haven't been there since I was seven, so it will be nice to see what has changed. Also, I'm going on a college visit on Monday. Yeah, college has been on my mind a lot lately. It is the reason why I haven't updated quickly. It's also the reason why my chapters are shorter. I wish it wasn't like that, but it is. I hope you understand. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Unexpected things happen. So, watch out. Happy reading}

**Day 11 **

_**District 12 – Ryder Hustiths **_

We creep along in the forest, search everywhere for Jolie. She has to be here somewhere. Secretly, I wish she committed suicide, but I know that would never be true. She's in here to win. That's why we have to kill her. She's far too dangerous for us.

"Keep moving," Katia breathed out. I nodded my head and kept walking.

Have you ever heard extreme silence? It actually has a sound. It's a huge sound. It's massive and takes over your entire body and soul. That's how it feels right now. The forest is dead quiet. Birds aren't chirping. The lava river is in the distance, so we can't hear the lava rushing and flowing by.

"Ryder, I asked you a question!" Katia shouted. I snap back to attention and stare at her. She kind of took over as the leader of our alliance. It's not fair. I'm clearly the better leader out of the three of us.

"What?" I ask.

"What's your plan when we see Jolie?" she asks. I sigh and shrug my shoulders. I haven't really thought of a plan. I would just see her and attack her. Then she would die. That's it. There's nothing to it.

"We just kill her. That's good," I mutter. Alby laughs softly and look at me. At least he has a good sense of humor.

"How do you plan to kill her?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders. I'm really good at handling axes, so I can kill her with that.

"I can use an axe," I say. I reach around my back and grab the axe from my backpack. I show it to her to prove I have one. She nods her head and continues to walk.

"Okay, that's good. We have to be on our guard all the time. You never know when she might pop up," she says.

"Like now?" a voice asks from above. I gasp and look up at the trees above our heads. Sitting on a tree branch is Jolie. She smiles and waves down to us.

"Hi boys," she says.

"I'm a girl," Katia mutters. Jolie rolls her eyes and jumps down from the tree branch.

"Like I care," she says as she walks toward us. I tighten my grip on my axe, preparing to slash her head off. This is it. Jolie isn't going to last another day in the Hunger Games. Her time to die is now. The viewers at home should be very proud of us for killing the biggest threat of the competition.

"What's up with you?" she asks me. She nods her head at me and I stare at her. I don't know what she means. I'm not the psychopath here.

"You really want to know?" I ask. She smiles and nods her head. She may be smart and cunning, but she always wants to know what's going on. It's her "weakness."

"Yeah, sure," she says. I smile and motion for her to step over to me.

"Come over here and I'll tell you," I say. I stare at her and do jumping jacks in my head. Yes! This is how I'm going to kill her. I'm going to get her to walk over to me. I'll lean down to whisper into her ear, and then I'll smash her head off with my axe. She won't know what hit her!

She slowly walks over to me and leans over so I can tell her. This is it. This is the moment. I lean down to whisper something into her ear. I don't even know what I should say. Should I just kill her right now? Yeah, that's what I have to do. It's the only option. And in 3...2...1!

"LOOK OUT!" Alby shouts.

I glance up and see a knife coming toward me. Jolie sticks the knife straight into my throat, and I instantly fall to the ground. That's it. That's how she wanted to play the game? Fine. There's nothing I can do about it.

I tried my best in the Hunger Games. No one can deny that. I wanted to win, but I guess that isn't going to happen. I wanted to win for Lilia, but now...I won't even get to be with her. I hope she has a good life. She's a good girl. She was beautiful, wonderful and I loved her. I hope someone else loves her as much as I did. She deserves that in life.

"If you think I'm that stupid, you're dead wrong. Yeah, dead wrong. Have fun being dead, District 12," Jolie says before turning around and running out of the forest.

I look up at the sky and feel the pain in my throat hit my heart. I glance over at Alby and Katia. They are staring down at me with shock.

"It's okay, guys. I hope one of you wins this thing. You can't let her win. She doesn't deserve to win. Do everything you can to make sure she doesn't," I breathe out before my heart gives out.

My soul lifts out of my body and travels up to Heaven. Yeah, I'm officially dead. I hope everyone else is going to have a good life. I'm sure going to miss it.

_**District 12 – Lilia Zages {Ryder's lover}**_

I stare at the television screen with tears forming in my eyes. My family watch in silence as they see my lover, the boy I am in madly love with, is killed before their very eyes. They don't know he's my lover, of course, but it's still sad. He did such a good job. He fought until his death. I'm so proud of him, but why did this have to happen?

What is going to happen to me now? What do I have to live for? The one boy I love is dead. That's not the only thing I am worried about. Something else is wrong. It's...hard to talk about. I never had the chance to tell Ryder. He never knew.

I stand up from the couch and turn off the television set. I walk into my bedroom and close the door. I lean against it and let the sobbing begin.

"Ryder, why did you leave me?" I ask aloud. I walk over to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. I stare at my reflection and sigh.

"Ryder, why did you leave me alone to do this? I can't do this..." I whisper.

I slowly lift my shirt up and look at the mirror. I turn to the side and see the baby bump slowly forming. I stare at it long and hard.

"How am I supposed to do this now...without him?"

A/N: Here is a list of the tributes. Names in bold are dead. Are you upset Ryder died? Were you shocked to find out Lilia is pregnant with his child? It's kind of unexpected. Ryder never knew about it. That's a shame. It probably would've given him the extra motivation to win.

**District 1: Carson Lear **

** Aurora Lear **

**District 2: Inferno Blackheart **

Jolie Talon

**District 3: Darius Dragomir **

**Reagan Lockster **

**District 4: Lance Alcott **

**Indigo Nightshade**

**District 5: Apollo Cylpso **

**Angel Ward **

**District 6: James Marin **

Katia Sievert

**District 7: Tasi Merkava **

**Malaya Ruanda**

**District 8: Simon Vitalee **

**Maddie Wilde**

**District 9: **Alby Blossom

**Thalia Millentum**

**District 10: Damien Dragomir **

** Sakura Dragomir **

**District 11: Thunnus Seidon **

**Tansy Marie Hepperly **

**District 12: Ryder Hustiths **

** Sea Jackson **

A/N: There you have it! Only 3 tributes remain in the Hunger Games. Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win? Let me know please. I'll try to update soon. My fall break is next week, so I'll have a chance to write a longer chapter then.

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	27. Chapter 27: Day 12

{A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Finals are next week. I also have that AP English research paper to finish about the Theater of the Absurd and the religion in Waiting For Godot. Fun fun! I know. Well, enjoy.}

**Day 12 **

_**District 2 – Jolie Talon**_

I am the strongest person out here. I am the best tribute in these Games. I _am _the person who deserves to win. I have the most killing count. I know how to defend myself. I know how to kill. So, why can't the other two dumb tributes come now and I can kill them? Then the Hunger Games would be over, and I would be crowned the victor! I would go home and bask in the glory of my victory.

For the past years, Careers haven't been winning. Ever since the 74th Hunger Games, things have been weird. I can't explain it. I don't want to explain it. It makes me sick. The Careers need to win! We are the strongest. We are the toughest. We are wicked creatures! Well, at least I am.

I walk through the forest as the day suddenly grows darker. They are trying to make the Games end soon. I look behind me because I swore I heard someone cough. I gaze around and look for an image. I look for an arm, foot and an eye - anything that can help.

"Who is out there?" I call.

I hear nothing. It's probably Alby. Oooh...is little Alby getting sick? Well, if he can die from sickness, that would be even better! I seriously want him out of here. He looks weak, but I know he can hunt. I know he can kill.

However, I know Katia can kill too. Both of them have the potential to kill me, but I will never let them do that. I am stronger than them. I can kill them without affecting me. Alby couldn't kill me. He likes and protects girls. It's stupid if you ask me.

To him, girls are precious gifts from God. We're Angels. Well, let me tell you something, Alby. I am _not _an Angel. I have a place reserved in Hell.

I hear the coughing again. It comes from my right. I step and inch my way over to a tree. I look down and see Katia lying down in the grass. She looks up at me and her eyes widen in fear.

"Feeling ill, Katia?" I ask. She shakes her head and continues to cough.

"No, I'm okay. I just have a frog in my throat," she says.

"I wish it was a real frog. Maybe it would kill you?"

She stares at me and shakes her head in annoyance. Then, her throat tightens and she leans over to cough again. I laugh and shake my head. Yeah, that is no frog in the throat. She is sick. Hopefully, it is pneumonia and she will die a painful death!

"You're an awful person, you know that?" she asks.

"I know that, honey. I'm embracing it though. I love it."

She shakes her head and tries to stand up, but her body is so weak that she remains on the ground. I can kill you, you know. I can kill her right now. I should kill her.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asks.

"Do you want me to kill you? Give me a moment and I will," I say. Out of nowhere, I hear a little beep. What the hell is that? I glance up and see a medicine cup floating down to the ground. Is it seriously for Katia? You know what I can do though...oh yes. "Look, my dear. It looks like you have a gift."

I reach up and grab the cup. I open it and see a note.

GET BETTER SOON.

I roll my eyes and close the cup. I smile down at Katia. Her eyes grow wide when she realizes what I am going to do. She has figured me out. I am glad about that.

"Give me my cup of medicine," she squeaks out, her voice growing thin and weak from the coughing.

"Come and get it," I say. I start to climb the tree and laugh at her. I climb up to a high branch and place the cup on it. She is screwed now.

"Give that back! I need it!" she shouts. I roll my eyes. 'Give that back! I need it' What a sissy!

"I told you to come get it."

She moans and coughs violently. I laugh and watch the little entertainment show. This is good. I bet the viewers back home are loving this.

"Please!" she shouts.

"No!"

"Fine! Be that way! Continue to be the awful person you are! I can get better by myself!" she shouts. Yeah, right. Like that will ever happen.

I sit back on the branch and watch as the day ends. I didn't kill anybody today, but I have a feeling that Katia won't be around much longer.

I close my eyes and wait for sleep to take over my body. I can still hear Katia coughing underneath me. I smile and nod my head. Today has been a good day, but I know tomorrow will be even better.

A/N: Nobody died today. So, the death list is the same as the previous chapter. I will try to update soon. Oh, just so you know, there are only two chapters left in the story. I want your opinion on something. After I finish this story, should I make a new SYOT? Thanks.

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	28. Chapter 28: Day 13

(A/N: Well, I guess I have a little explaining to do. No, I did not completely abandon this story. I'm sorry if it looks like I did, but I just couldn't write for a month. I was in a car accident, and I broke my left arm. I was in a cast, so it was hard to write. I could still type, but I wasn't able to type 3-4 pages of a chapter. Plus, I was really busy with my school's musical. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! Happy reading!)

**Day 13 **

_**District 9 – Alby Blossom **_

The dark, black coldness of the night surrounds my shaking body as I lean against a tree. My eyes beg to close, but I know I cannot sleep. It's almost the end. How the hell I survive this long, I don't know. The odds were definitely not in my favor, but I guess I did something right. I might actually win and return to District 9.

Home...I might get to go home. I'll see my mom, dad, Camrose and Ilow. I've missed my family. I really hope they haven't been watching the Games. I don't want them to know everything that happened to me during the Games. That is the last thing I want.

I also think about Ritneli. I know her life has not been very pleasant while I have been away, but I hope she is okay. She _has_ to be okay. If I win and go back home, and she isn't there, I'll be crushed. I want to win for her, and if she isn't there, then it would be like I won for nothing.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

My body jerks in shock at the screaming voice. It echoes throughout the woods, but I can tell that it is a girl's voice. Well, duh, Alby. You're the last boy alive in this stupid competition.

"AHHHHHH!"

I thrust myself away from the tree and search for the direction of the cries. Whoever it is, it doesn't sound good. Is it Katia, or is it Jolie? I kind of wish it is Jolie. I don't want her to win. She doesn't deserve to be the victor. I know she is the toughest person in the Games, but that doesn't mean she has to win. She killed everybody in the Games. She doesn't have a heart. No one like that deserves to win.

I step forward and turn my head to the left. I hear rushing water, and I know I am near the lava river. The agony screams crescendo as I walk closer to the lava. Oh no...did...oh no...

I turn my head to the right, and that is when I see it. Jolie. Katia. Jolie. Katia. My mind triggers thousands of thoughts as I witness the duel. I want to close my eyes, but I have to see this. I have to know what happens to the girls.

"GIVE IT UP ALREADY!" Jolie screams at Katia as she wraps her arms around her tiny neck. Katia screams and gazes down at the burning, red lava underneath her feet. She is dangling over the lava, and Jolie laughs like the Wicked Witch from the West. That title fits her best. She is freakin' witch.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Katia screams, her voice growing frail. She opens her mouth and coughs violently. Is she sick? Oh, and Jolie is treating her like this, even though she is terribly sick? Does that girl have morals?

"What did you say?" Jolie asks, her eyes gleaming mischievously. I stare at the scene. I look at Jolie's face, which consists of an evil smile and naughty eyes. Somehow, I know what is about to happen. Katia told her to put her down, and I have a feeling Jolie is going to do exactly that. Right into the lava where she can burn alive.

"I TOLD YOU TO PUT ME DOWN! YOU'RE CHOKING ME!" Katia screams.

"As you wish, princess," Jolie says. Her hands release Katia and the poor, dying girl falls down into the burning water. Katia screams as her flesh is torn alive from the smoldering lava. I stare at her body. She squeezes her eyes shut and cries in pain. I want to do something, anything that can help her, but I can't. Nothing can help her now.

Seconds later, I hear the loud boom signaling her death. Jolie laughs and leans down and picks up the dead body. Burn scars cover the body and you can even see where some of her skin was torn off. Jolie examines the body before placing it on the ground. She leans over it and grabs a knife from her pocket. My eyes widen in fear and shock. What the hell is she going to do...?

She lowers the knife to Katia's neck. I close my eyes so I do not have to watch this. I hear the sound of tugging and scraping as the knife penetrates the dead skin. Bones crack and are torn apart. I feel like I am going to vomit.

I open my eyes to see Katia's head completely removed from her body. It is a bloody sight, but I know Jolie is not done yet. She stands up from the ground and walks over to a tree. She picks up a wooden stick and holds it up.

Very carefully, she inserts the stick into the ground. Then, she grabs Katia's head and places it on the stick. What the heck? No, she did not just do that! Who is she leaving it to, the Peacemakers? She turns around and looks up at the sky, hoping the Peacemakers saw what she just did.

"Did you see that? I killed Katia! Her head is on the stick now to show everyone at District 6 that she is a filthy dead woman now! I am the best person here!" she shouts.

She continues to shout awful words to the Peacemakers when I stare down at the ground. Katia just died, and she is rejoicing. Well, she is Jolie. She is the worst person on the face of the planet.

Something shiny catches my eyes. Hidden underneath the leaves is a bow and arrow. I pick it up and stare at it. It must've been Katia's before she died. I gaze at Jolie, who is still yelling stuff at the Peacemakers. I should just kill her. She will be thrown off guard. She doesn't know I'm here. I should do it.

I don't like to kill people, especially girls, but I have no choice. I want to win, and Jolie knows how to kill. She will search for me and kill me violently. Heck, she would probably place my head on a stick too, so it can rot and become infested with flies.

No, I'm not going to allow that to happen. I have to do this. It is the only thing I can do.

I raise the bow and arrow. I point it at Jolie's chest, making sure I will aim it at the right spot to kill her. I close my eyes, pray to God and then release the arrow. I open my eyes and watch it travel through the air. It feels like an eternity before it finally completes its job.

It penetrates Jolie's body, and I hear the shocked scream escape her mouth. She stares down at the arrow inside her chest. She raises her head and finally finds me standing some distance away from her.

"You...you..." she breathes out.

"That's right," I tell her. I walk over to her and stare down at her evil body. She collapses to the ground, but she isn't dead yet. She is struggling to stay alive. She grabs the arrow and tries to pull it out of her chest, but it is stuffed in there tight.

"You're...you're killing me..."

"You deserve it," I spit out at her.

"I thought you said you couldn't kill girls. They're Angels," she says, staring up into my eyes. I shake my head. Yeah, I know I said that, but sometimes, you have to do what you have to do. In order to win the Hunger Games, you have to kill someone, even a girl.

"I know I said that," I tell her.

"Then, why are you killing me?" she asks, her voice growing faint as she struggles to keep her heart beating alive.

"You're not an Angel. As far as I'm concerned, you can go rot in Hell," I tell her.

I turn around and walk away from her suffering body. I hear her cries, but I just cover my ears with my hands. I continue walking out of the forest, until I arrive at the Cornucopia. I stand there, waiting for something to happen.

Finally, I hear the loud boom signaling that Jolie has finally passed. I stare at the ground and a smile eventually spreads across my face. I did it. I won the Hunger Games.

I step forward and begin walking toward the Cornucopia. I hear a voice boom across the lands. I stop walking and stare up at the ground. A huge helicopter machine appears out of the sky. A ladder descends from it and I smile.

The voice utters the seven words I have hoped and prayed I would hear, but I was never sure if I would hear it.

"You have won the Hunger Games. Congrats."

I move toward the ladder, and grab onto it. I ascend up to the sky and I gaze at the disastrous world I am now leaving. I stare at it from a different point of view. I stare at its beauty and its charm. So many deaths occurred in this forest, but mine did not happen. I am alive, and I won.

And now...I can go home, because I am the victor of the Hunger Games!

A/N: Well, there you have it! Alby won! Are you guys happy about it? I don't know. I just felt a little connection with Alby. I really wanted him to win from the very beginning. He was the underdog. He was bullied all of his life, and I just thought it was a great story to have the bullied person become the winner. He gets to go home now and see his family and friends again, including Ritneli. There is one chapter left in the story. It will be about his return to District 9. I will try to upload that soon, but the holidays are coming up, so I don't know. I'll try to do it soon. Oh! Congrats to Shipwreckedd, the awesome Fanfiction user who submitted Alby to my story. Your tribute won! Yay!

As always,

Fiddlegirl


	29. Chapter 29: Finale

{A/N: This is the finale! It doesn't seem real that I started this story in May 2012, and now it's 2013! Ahh! I am so thankful for everyone who read this story. Without you guys, I probably wouldn't have had the determination to finish this story. I had so much fun with it, and I hope everyone was pleased with the results. I put a lot of time and effort into this last chapter. I wanted to make it special. I hope you enjoy it. So, for the last time, happy reading!}

_**District 9 – Alby Blossom **_

"How does it feel to win the Hunger Games, the most prestigious and powerful competition game in all of Panem? How does it feel that you, Alby Blossom from Distrct 9, survived the entire course of the Games, beat all of the competitive enemies and finally won and will return to your loved ones in District 9? Tell us. How do you feel right now?" Caesar Flickerman asks me as I sit in the comfortable stage. The stage lights beat down on my face and I gaze out into the crowd.

How do I feel? How would anyone feel right now? Glad, happy, blessed? I wish I didn't have to answer so many questions. It's like I'm a celebrity. Well, I guess, in a way, I sort of am a superstar, but I don't feel glamorous. I'm still the same old Alby. I'm not handsome. I'm not ultra-tough with muscles. Sure, I know how to fight now because of the Games, but the girls back home won't want to date me. I'm still the same old dork I was when I left District 9.

"Alby? When someone asks you a question in an interview, the polite thing to do is answer it," Caesar says with a laugh. He looks out into the audience and they laugh along with him. I shift my posture in the chair and nod my head.

"You're right, sir. I guess I abandoned my polite manner a long time ago in the arena. You don't win the Hunger Games being polite," I say, attempting to be joking and playful. It must have worked because Caesar is laughing, causing the audience to mirror his actions.

"Very nice response. So, how about you answer the questions now?" he asks me.

"Well, I guess I feel like anyone would feel. I'm happy and blessed I made it out alive. It was kind of weird. I never thought I would beat Jolie. She was a tough competitive, but I'm here now. I get to go home. I get to see my family and friends again. Life is good right now," I tell him. The audience claps and I smile at them. This isn't so bad.

"Well, that is a very nice answer, Alby. Now, you've been bullied all your life, am I correst?" he asks. I sigh and nod my head. Yes, he's right about that.

"Yeah, that's right," I answer.

"The bullies won't be able to beat you now. You're the victor of the Hunger Games!" he shouts. The audience applauds and stands up in admiration. I smile and nod my head.

"I hope you're right about that," I say. Caesar looks over to his right at President Snow. He smiles and nods his head. He turns and looks at me.

"It is now time to crown our beloved victor," he says.

I stand up from my chair and walk to center stage. President Snow walks over to me with a beautiful crown. Jewels cover the gold lining of it. I smile and look at him. I've never been this close to President Snow. I don't know if I should be afraid of him or not. He is intimidating. With one snap of his fingers, he can have someone killed. Just like that.

He places the crown on my head and steps aside. He stares into my eyes and nods his head. The audience applauds and screams my name.

"You're a very lucky man," he whispers to me. I smile and nod my head. I can't disagree on that. I am lucky, lucky to be alive.

Before I know, I am on the train heading back to District 9. I don't know why, but my hands are shaking with fear. Deep down, I know the reason why I am hesitant to return to my home. I just can't bring myself to say it.

"What's wrong, Alby?" the district escort, Sven, asks as I slouch in my chair. I shake my head and run my hands through my hair.

"I'm okay," I tell him.

"Excited about going home?" he asks. I sigh and nod my head.

"Yeah, I am."

I sit back and close my eyes. There is one person on my mind. I know I should be thinking about my family, but Ritneli is the one person I can think about right now. Ritneli, my beautiful best friend, might be dead. I don't know who she is right now. I don't know what happened with those bullies. Whatever it was, I know it wasn't good.

If Ritneli isn't there when I get home, I don't know what I will do. She is my best friend. She always used to be stronger than me. She beat the bullies. She stood up for me when I was being beaten to death in the school hallways. She comforted me when I had a bloody nose. She would pat my hand and tell me everything would be okay. She did it all. The one time she needed me, I wasn't there. I wasn't there to help her. I wasn't there to tell the bullies to mess with someone else. I wasn't there. I was in an arena, fighting for my life. I fought for her, but if she died, I fought for no reason. I need my best friend.

The train slowly comes to a stop. I sigh and stand up from my seat. Sven grabs my hand and stares at me. He squeezes it and nods his head. I smile and step over to the door. This is it. This is the moment I hoped for throughout the entire Hunger Games. I never thought it would actually happen to me.

The doors open and I step down the stairs to the recognizable ground below. I step out and instantly hear a crowd cheer my name. I glance up and see the entire district standing in a huge group, just like Reaping day. It seems so long ago I was here, but I know it was only a few weeks.

I walk over to them and search for my family. When I spot Ilow, my older brother, standing above the crowd, a huge smile spreads across my face. I raise my hand and wave at him. I'm shocked to see him wipe away the tears flowing down his face. Ilow is crying? He never thought I would win. He said I didn't stand a chance because I was too shy. He was wrong, wasn't he?

He leans down and picks up my younger sister, Camrose. He holds her up and she sees me. A smile spreads across her face and she frantically waves at him, causing me to smile and giggle at her cute charm.

I move through the crowd toward my family. People reach up and hug me as I walk past them. I politely say hello to them, but I'm still too shy to share a normal conversation with strangers. Once I approach my family, my mother throws her arms around my neck and pulls me tightly to her chest.

"Oh! Alby! My little Alby!" she exclaims, crying as she embraces me in her arms. I pull away from her and smile.

"I did it, Mom," I say.

"I knew you were going to win. I just knew it," she says.

"I did too," Ilow says. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"No, you didn't. You had no confidence in me at all," I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Who cares? You won! That's the most important thing," he says. Camrose runs over to me and jumps into my arms. I laugh and run my hands through her light red hair.

"I watched you on the big screen, Alby," she whispers. I place her on the ground and smile.

"I kind of wish you didn't," I say. She smiles and shakes her head.

"You're my hero!"

With that, she skips off to talk to her friends. I raise my eyebrows and stare at my mother and father. I'm a hero? Yes, I won the Hunger Games. Sure, I know how to defend myself, but am I a hero? I killed people. Heroes don't kill people. They save them.

"What's wrong, Alby?" my dad asks, clearly aware that something is wrong with me. I shake my head and look around the crowd of people.

"Nothing. Have you guys seen Ritneli?" I ask. My mom glances up to look at my dad. They share a silent conversation. I know what this means. Something happened. Something happened and they don't want to tell me about it. It's okay. I just fought for my life in a world that involved lava, trees and a girl who was the Devil. I can handle anything now.

"She didn't come," my mom says.

"Why not? Is she okay? I saw a video of her during the Games. She was being bullied. She's okay, right? Answer me," I demand. Ilow steps up and places his hand on my shoulder.

"She's okay. She just didn't want to come, alright? Get over it," he says.

"Why not?" I ask. What the heck is going on?

"Ritneli didn't want to come see you because she was afraid," he answers. How does he know this? Has he been talking to her?

"Why is she afraid?" I ask. He sighs and looks down at me. I don't like that look. It's scaring me. What the heck is going on? Why won't people give me a definite answer?!

"Maybe it's better if you go see her," he says.

"Where is she? Is she at her house?" I ask. He shrugs his shoulders and looks down at the ground.

"Stop asking me so many questions. It's like you've been gone for a month...oh..." he says after he realizes what he just said.

"Ilow, be nice to your brother. He just went through something very traumatic. He's bound to be a little worried about his best friend," my mom says. Thank you, Mom. You always step up to scold the trouble maker.

"Fine! If you want to go see Ritneli, she's probably at your special place. You know, the place you always go with her," he says.

I step back and stare at him. He's right. If she didn't want to come here, she would have gone to our place. We discovered it when we were ten years old. We went there every single day, even when we were both busy. It was _our _place.

"Thanks," I whisper. I turn around and walk out of the main part of District 9. I travel along the road until I reach the grain field. I keep walking until I see it.

Our tree.

I walk over to it and stare up at its high branches. Sitting on the top branch is my special friend, Ritneli. I pick up a rock and throw it up into the air. It hits her shoe and she glances down at the ground below her. When she sees me, she gasps and almost loses her balance on the branch.

"Alby! You're back!" she shouts. She begins to climb down the tree, but I hold up my hands in protest.

"No! I'm climbing up! I've missed this tree," I say.

I grab the rough bark and quickly climbed up the tree. Thanks to the Hunger Games, I can climb up a tree faster than I did before. I knew the Games helped me in some way.

When I finally arrive at the top branch, Ritneli quickly pulls me into a tight hug. I press her closely against me, never really wanting to let go of her.

"You're really here. I was too scared to go the town square. I thought you wouldn't really arrive," she whispers.

"Why did you think that?" I ask. She pulls away from me and wipes the tears away from her eyes.

"I thought it was just a big joke that you won. I thought President Snow was just playing with us. He wanted us to believe someone from District 9 actually won. I thought he was tricking us because that is the man he is, you know. He likes that kind of thing. I was so scared. I thought if I did go down to see you, and you never arrived, which meant you died, I just...I just...I don't know. I guess I just knew that...I don't know. I can't...I don't know," she says, not making any sense because she is rambling on. I smile and wipe the tears away from her cheek with my thumbs. She's still the same old Ritneli I left behind.

"I'm here. You don't have to worry about it now. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," I say.

"What about next year? The Games will happen again," she says. I smile and shake my head.

"I'm a victor though. I won't be a part of the reapings," I say. She shakes her head and looks down at the ground beneath us.

"What about me? I'll be in the drawing. I might get reaped. I might go to the Hunger Games and die. The odds aren't in our favor, Alby," she says. I shrug my shoulders.

"You're tougher than anyone I know," I say. She blushes and looks into my eyes.

"I've missed you, Alby," she whispers. I reach across and place my hand over hers.

"I've missed you too. Do you want to know something?" I ask. She nods her head and smiles.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know why I fought so hard to win?" I ask her. She shakes her head and stares at me, but I think she already knows the answer. She has that glint in her eye. "I fought for you. I wanted to come home to be with you."

She blushes and stares at me. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words escape it. She closes it and shakes her head. Tears trickle down her face and I wipe them away for her. She chuckles and leans forward.

Before I know it, her lips are on mine. It takes me a moment to realize what we are doing. We're kissing. We've never done this before. Ever. I'm not complaining. I wouldn't want this moment to be with anyone else besides her.

I wrap my arms around her waist and she pulls away. She blushes and looks down at the ground. Why did she stop? Can we keep doing that?

"Sorry. I kind of got caught up in the moment," she apologizes. I shake my head and smile. Same old Ritneli.

"Don't apologize for something that was great," I tell her. She smiles and looks at me.

"Alby, you know something?" she asks.

"What?"

"You're a pretty amazing guy," she says.

"You just realized that?"

She smiles and shakes her head. She leans forward and kisses me quickly on the lips. She pulls away and taps my nose with her finger.

"No, I just never had the courage to tell you that," she says. She turns around and starts to climb down the tree.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" I call down to her. She smiles and I hear her giggle in excitement.

"I'll tell you, but you'll have to catch me first!" she shouts.

I scurry down the tree and chase her through the grain fields, just like we used to do when we were younger. I have to admit that even though I'm the Hunger Games victor, some things in life never change. The Hunger Games don't change your personality. They don't change your family or friends. They just make you own a nice, beautiful house. You get prizes. You get fame. Other than that, it's not that glamorous. I just survived a tough competition. I'm alive. That's the most important thing.

The odds were in my favor after all.

A/N: Thanks again for your faithful reading and reviews. I appreciate each and every single one of you. Also, thank you to everyone who submitted the tributes. Without you guys, this story wouldn't have been possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also, I will do another SYOT story, but not until the far future when I am ready to tackle the challenge again. This story was tough, I have to admit. I am ready to focus on my other stories that I have to finish and the other stories I have planned underneath my sleeves. Thanks again for your countless support. I appreciate it so very much.

As always,

Fiddlegirl

P.S. This story is dedicated to my very own Alby. You know who you are. I'll always be your Ritneli.


End file.
